Labor Day weekend might be considered to be the end of the summer holiday season, but it sure doesn’t feel like summer is ready to go. In my neck of the woods, for example, the highs have been in the triple digits for over a week now and the nights haven’t offered much relief. I am lucky enough to have a cool kitchen with good ventilation to work in, but even I am loathe to turn on the oven and risk heating up the house in this weather. Why not turn to the grill instead? Labor Day is a popular holiday for hot dogs and hamburgers (and maybe some corn on the cob)anyway, and getting all your cooking done outside – including breads and desserts – is a sure fire way to make a meal easy and keep the house cool.
Grilled flatbread and grilled pizza are great ways to do regular breads outdoors. Just mix up the dough and toss it on the grill for a few minutes, and you’ll be ready to eat.
As far as desserts go, chocolate isn’t something that works out too well on the grill (excluding the chocolate used in making s’mores, of course), but there is a lot you can do with fruit. I love grilled peach shortcakes, although they do involve a little bit of actual baking. An alternative is to just grill the fruit and use it to top ice cream, which Feeding My Enthusiasms did with grilled tropical fruit. Grilled fruit is also good plain, like Food Blogga‘s grilled watermelon. The same technique can be used with other types of melon, and all can be spiced up with lime and cayenne (my preference is for chipotle here), as given in the recipe, or grilled with a sprinkle of sugar for an extra hit of sweetness.
If relatively plain fruit isn’t what you’re looking for Elise’s Rustic Apricot Tart might just be the perfect dessert. It is an elegant but easy tart made with seasonal fruit that is cooked entirely on the grill. Just put the tarts on when you’re sitting down to eat your main course, and they’ll be ready to go by the time you’re ready for dessert.
What do you think?