A colourful spring grill.

I had almost forgotten the joy of grilling. Heck, I’ve actually never known what it is to own my own barbecue. Well a couple weeks ago my partner and I went out and changed that; in anticipation of what I’m told is a beautiful summer here in the Okanagan, we bought a charcoal grill.

After some initial difficulty lighting the coals (since rectified with the purchase of a chimney starter– a must when grilling with charcoal and without chemicals!), the gorgeous smell of smouldering charcoal wafted from our balcony and into the apartment.

Fresh salmon, rubbed and ready to go.

I’m still learning the ropes of charcoal grilling, so we started simple: a few grilled veggies and cedar-planked salmon. It helps to salt the zucchini before cooking to remove moisture, but aside from that, the only extra ingredient on the vegetables was a little olive oil: a little bit of charring and smoking does the rest! On top of the salmon I rubbed a mixture of olive oil, salt, pepper, maple syrup, lemon juice, and chopped pecans, and stuck some lemon slices underneath.

The finished product.

Accompanied by a pinot noir from one of my favourite ontario wineries and some couscous, it was a delectable hello to spring weather and a hearty welcome to our new charcoal-fuelled friend.