Dentists and A Perfect Summer Dinner

I don't go to the dentist anymore for a simple cleaning.. oh, I go every six months like the good little patient I am.. but it's never that easy.. 

No, life on the other side of fifty is more complicated than that. Seems every filling I've ever had is now listed on the Smithsonian's Dental Roles as antique and has to be redone.

Redone is code word for Root Canal. 

Now my dentist, bless his heart, always tries his best to avoid the dreaded Root Canal. But my antique mouth resists all manner of dental work. It wants the cadillac of service. 

I swear one tooth looks at the other and says, how come she gets a brand new shiny crown and I have to settle for a standard old filling? 

This tooth bemoans their filling state over the coarse of a few days until BAM - a full blown toothache wakes me in the middle of the night, mouth pounding, jaw screaming... 

So here I am waiting for my dentist, bless his heart, to call me back and send me off to the special root canal dentist. Then I'll go back to my dentist for the crown that will cost me somewhere around a $gazillion dollars. 

I'm glad we had the perfect summer dinner last night. Tonight I'll be sipping soup, and taking motrin. 

Grilled Steak, Shrimp and Pesto Corn: (for two)

Not a pot in the house gets used for this dinner. Pour a nice Rose, make the pesto in advance , then sit back and let the man do the cooking:

2 Rib Eye Steaks (or meat of choice)

1/2 pound Extra Large Shrimp (about 8)

2 ears fresh shucked sweet corn

Pesto (recipe follows)

Olive Oil 

Salt and Pepper

Take steak out of fridge one hour before cooking time. 

Peel and devein shrimp. Thread on skews

Drizzle steaks and shrimp with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper (both sides)

Heat Grill to Medium High

Pesto:

2 cups fresh basil leaves

1/2 cup toasted pine nuts

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (or more)

salt and pepper

Place basil in food processor, pulse a few times. Add cheese and pine nuts and process until almost smooth. With motor running, drizzle in olive oil until desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pulse one or more times.

Paint pesto on fresh shucked corn. 

Grill steaks, shrimp and corn until done. 

Slice some watermelon for dessert. 

Mmmm... tastes like summer. 

A Cook's Notes:

The pesto freezes beautifully! I freeze it in little 1/4 cup containers, then use it all winter long on pasta, pizza and chicken.