Grilled Steak with Potato Salad and Grilled Garlic Crostini

Yes! Zack and I bought our very first grill. It's a Weber grill! We even got a discount on it because the one on display was the last one in the store. Ain't she a beauty?

We also bought the matching Weber 3-piece stainless steel tool set including tongs, spatula and fork and some lump charcoal. Naturally, we made tonight's dinner using our newly-acquired grill. We decided on Zack's favorite, steak.

I used this recipe from Epicurious.com for the marinade and the accompanying sauce. Zack is the designated keeper and manager of the grill so he was in charge of marinating and grilling the steak. As you can tell, Zack had technical difficulties operating the grill so he ended up overcooking the meat. Let's just say, it was very well-done. I guess it's not completely due to poor operation of the grill because here is what Zack had to say on the subject: "I just cook meat until it's black, so I have to work on that." Indeed, he does.

I really liked the horseradish cream sauce with the steak. I've never actually bought raw horseradish root before, so I didn't realize how potent it is. The whipped cream balances well with the strong horseradish flavor.

I also made potato salad with roasted peppers using this Epicurious.com recipe. Of course, we grilled the red pepper and some corn on the cob on our new grill. The grilled vegetables gave the salad a delicious smoky flavor.

We also grilled some French bread brushed with olive oil and garlic. I used this Epicurious.com recipe and I think it was too salty.

Overall, I think our first grilling experience turned out great. I'm hoping for better results next time. I'm looking for all the wonderful meals we'll be cooking on the grill this summer. Mmmm... I can't wait!