No-cook rosemary skewers

One of my favorite things about the summer months are BBQ's. I mean, what's not to love? Growing up my dad was the King of the BBQ, Master of the Grill. Actually, he still is! From steak to chicken to corn to squash (that's right squash) he can throw it on the BBQ and the result is a feast of delicious goodness.


Since I don't have a BBQ (thank you, apartment management company regulations) and my skills are relatively limited my role in most BBQs is to eat a lot. Oh, and to bring a side dish of sorts. The latest BBQ side dish I found is courtesy of The Pioneer Woman. My friend Colin introduced me to her blog and I'm pretty sure I owe my love of all things food blog to him for it. Her site is full of beautiful pictures, delicious recipes and honest, funny commentary that makes cooking along with her even more fun.


These no-cook skewers are simple to make, but incredibly tasty and garnered lots of compliments when I brought them to a 4th of July BBQ. They only sat on the rosemary sticks for about two hours, but it was enough time to allow the rosemary flavor to seep into the cheese and meat, creating a burst of fresh herb flavor in every single bite. I'm pretty sure I ate about 20 of them, they were so tasty.


Super simple, lots of flavor and no oven necessary? Sign me up!The Recipe:No-cook Rosemary Skewers (as adapted from The Pioneer Woman)


Servings: Dependant on amount of ingredients
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:
Fresh rosemary stalks
Salami (I used a salami log, sliced into thick pieces, but thin deli slices could work as well)
Fresh mozzarella balls. cut into fourths
Black or pitted kalamata olives
Artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
Olive oil
Balsalmic vinegar
Fresh ground pepper
Fresh or dried thyme
Fresh rosemary leaves

Directions:
1. Cut the rosemary strips at an angle to create a tip. Strip the fresh rosemary stalks until all but the top inch and a half are bare, leaving the top portion intact.
2. Alternating the cheese, olives, artichokes and salami, use the sharp end of the stalk to spear the ingredients on in any order your heart desires.
3. Mix the olive oil, balsamic, thyme, fresh rosemary leaves, salt and pepper until emulsified. Drizzle over the skewars as desired.
4. Refrigerate or serve immediately