David George Gordon and lovely assistant giant robot praying mantis

Sheesh! Kabobs

Yield: six servings

Ingredients

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon honey

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 tablespoon minced fresh herbs—parsley, mint, thyme and/or tarragon

 


1/4 teaspoon salt

pinch of freshly ground pepper

12 frozen katydids, locusts or other suitably sized Orthoptera, thawed

1 red pepper, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks

1 small yellow onion, cut into 8 wedges

Mix all ingredients for the marinade in a non-reactive baking dish. Add the Orthoptera, cover and marinate overnight.

When ready to cook, remove the insects from the marinade. Pat them dry, for ease of handling. Assemble each kabob, alternately skewering the insects, tomatoes and onion wedges to create a visually interesting line-up.

Brush the grill lightly with olive oil. Cook the kabobs two or three inches above the fire, turning them every two or three minutes and basting them with additional olive oil as required. The exact cooking time will vary, depending on the kind of grill and types of insects used; however, the kabobs should cook for no longer than eight or nine minutes.