help me out here, folks...

it's okay to thaw the package of lovingly-raised, organic, bone-in ham steak outside of the fridge, right? ie, in a bag on my desk? this shizz is frozen rock-solid, and there's no way it's going to be cookable by tonight otherwise, i fear.

Yes.

you know, i do this all the time but for some reason, the fact that it's not being thawed in a kitchen is making me nervous. like, the kitchen counter has some magical properties that my desk lacks.

I don't think ham poses a particularly high risk of contamination? Chicken is the primary (meat-type) carrier for salmonella, and the little thingies that causes trichinosis actually live in the meat, they're not a bacteria. So I'd say you're fine!

After all, Alton Brown champions a speed-thaw under your bathroom shower....

yeah, i really shouldn't be worried abt something the farmer told me would keep for up to 3 weeks if refrigerated.

I would second the running water thing, it doesn't sound like that WOULD defrost in a day before dinnertime on its own?

He said it'd keep for THREE WEEKS?? Shit, man. That must be the benefit of getting it directly from a farmer, because I just had pork chops in the fridge for ONE WEEK and they smelled really off 7 days after purchase (even though the sell-by date was only a few days past).

And my fridge is colder than most, too, since it's a restaurant-style reach-in.

we'll see, ff. if it doesn't, i'll have to do the old running water trick (hate using the micro for thawing meats).

laurel, the ham steak that i got is cured, hence it's long shelf life. and hence why i'm crazy for even worrying about something going wrong with room-temperature thawing.

uh, its not it's ffs!

the ham was a really good investment.

Ham's always a good investement

help me out again... what's a good lunchtime potluck dish to bring for people who aren't particularly into food? several dieters, nut allergies, etc.

Mushrooms + onions marinated in a lemon-thyme vinaigrette

that sounds good to me, but i'm afraid it will get an "oh. you brought... mushrooms? " response.

raw tomatoes, onions, peppers, cucumbers, tossed in some oil and lemon

probably the wrong season for that tho

corn roasted in paprika butter?

jerk chicken wings/pieces? I made those in a crockpot once for a potluck and they were a hit.

hmm... i'm thinking i could incorporate both the mushroom and the tomato/pepper/cuke ideas into one nice salad, and mix in some quinoa or couscous for a grain component. we've got lots of fresh thyme at the moment, and flat-leaf parsley.

thanks, guys! i love getting all of these suggestions for future use. jerk chicken wings sound great for football sundays.

ainse and radish go well in that salad too

anise