With Labor Day coming soon, we are all looking forward to that "last hurrah" of the peak of grilling season. I know - most people grill year round these days. But having a Labor Day barbecue is just... expected I suppose. Hopefully these recipes will become your new family favorites!

First things first!

Tools and Equipment Used in this Newsletter

Grilled Spatchcock Chicken

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

1/2 tsp smoked paprika (this one is my personal favorite)

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1 whole chicken, spatchcocked

Procedure:

Mix together all spices in a small bowl. Run your finger between the chicken skin and the meat over the breast, thigh, and leg, creating a pocket. Divide half the seasoning mixture between these pockets, rubbing the mix in to the meat when possible without tearing the skin. Sprinkle remaining mixture over front and back of chicken, making sure to season all sides. Let chicken sit at room temperature while grill is preheating (ideally 20-30 minutes).

Prepare a grill for medium-heat cooking, leaving a cooler area on one side of the grill to move chicken to for indirect cooking. Place chicken on the grill skin-side down. Cook until strong grill marks have formed. Rotate 90 degrees and cook until a cross-hatch pattern has formed. Flip and move it to the indirect heat area. Close the lid and cook until it is well-browned and cooked through, about 30-45 minutes longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat away from bone should read 165 degrees F when done. Let rest 10-15 minutes before carving. Serve.

Grilled Romaine Salad with

Grilled Avocado Dressing

Serves 4

Ingredients:

For the dressing:

1 avocado, quartered

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup cilantro leaves (see a hack on how to get the leaves off the stem here)

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

2-4 tablespoons water, plus additional as needed

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Oil, for oiling grill grates

For the salad:

1 large head Romaine lettuce, quartered through the root, root left intact

1 ear corn, soaked in water for 30 minutes

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Oil, for oiling grates

Procedure:

Make the dressing:

Preheat grill to a medium-high heat. Once grill is heated, oil grill grates. Place avocados, cut side down on the grill. Cook until dark marks form, about 2 minutes. Rotate 90 degrees and cook until additional marks form, about 1 minute more. Flip to remaining cut side and repeat. Once avocados are marked and slightly softened, remove from grill and allow to cool.

Remove outer skin from avocado and place flesh in the bowl of a small food processor or blender. Add sour cream, cilantro, and lime juice and puree until smooth. With motor running, slowly add water until the dressing reaches desired consistency. Season well with salt and pepper. Set aside or refrigerate up to 1 day.  

Make the salad:

Place corn on the grill and cook, turning regularly, until husks are brown and corn is heated through. Let cool enough to handle and shuck. Place cobs briefly back on the grill, just to char parts of the corn. Remove kernels from corn and set aside.

Re-oil grill grates as necessary. Place lettuce, one cut side down, on grill. Cook until marks form and lettuce starts to wilt slightly, 2-3. Turn to other cut side and repeat. Remove from grill and place on serving platter.

Drizzle dressing over grilled lettuce. Distribute corn kernels, tomato halves, and cilantro leaves over the salad. Serve immediately.

Grilled Ratatouille

Serves 6-8 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, peeled

2 heirloom tomatoes (firm varieties work a bit better)

1 large or 2 small zucchini

1 large yellow squash

1 red bell pepper, seeds removed

3-4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, or as needed

1/2 teaspoon Herbs de Provence, or to taste

Minced fresh parsley, for garnish

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Procedure:

Preheat grill to medium-high heat.

Slice the eggplant in to 1/4"-thick rounds. Salt generously and set aside on paper towels for at least 20 minutes. Slice remaining vegetables into 1/4” thick rounds (you may want to slice on the diagonal if the squash are skinny for ease of grilling).

After eggplant has sat for 20 minutes, rinse of any remaining salt and pat dry with paper towels. Toss all vegetables with enough olive oil to just coat. Add Herbs de Provence and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine.

Add vegetables to grill, in batches if necessary. Let grill marks form, about 2-3 minutes. Turn 90 degrees and allow additional marks to form, 2-3 minutes more. Flip and repeat. When both sides of vegetables have a nice cross-hatch pattern and vegetables have softened, remove from grill. Sprinkle with minced parsley and serve warm or at room temperature.

Grilled Peach Trifle

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

For the custard (or you can use instant vanilla pudding):
1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (or you can use 3 cups half and half in place of the milk and cream)

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 large egg yolks (see the easiest way to separate them here)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter

For the whipped cream (See a "hack" for making whipped cream here):

1 ½ cup heavy cream, cold

2-3 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

For the trifle:

1 prepared pound cake, sliced in to 1/2” pieces

4 large peaches or nectarines, sliced in to 1/4-1/2” thick pieces

1/4 cup amaretto, divided

Toasted slivered almonds, for garnish

Oil, for oiling grill grates

Procedure:

Make the custard:

Place milk and cream (or half and half) in a medium saucepan and place on medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer.

While waiting for the milk to simmer, whisk together cornstarch, sugar, salt, and yolks. Once milk has simmered, slowly pour approximately 1/4-1/3 of the milk mixture into the egg mixture while whisking. Pour remaining milk into the egg mixture and mix thoroughly. Return mixture to saucepan.

Place saucepan on medium heat and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture comes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 3 full minutes, stirring frequently, to remove the starch taste.

Pour mixture into a clean bowl and add the vanilla and butter. Mix until combined. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard (it must be touching to prevent “pudding skin”) and allow to cool completely, or place in a larger bowl of ice water to chill more rapidly. Custard may be made up to 3 days in advance.

Make the whipped cream:

Place the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a hand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip mixture until it reaches stiff peaks.

Make the trifle:

Heat a grill on medium-high heat. Oil grill grates. Place pound cake slices on grill. Cook until good marks form, approximately 1-2 minutes. Flip 90 degrees until “hash” marks form, an additional 1-2 minutes. Flip over and repeat. When both sides are marked, remove from grill and set aside.

Re-oil the grill grates if necessary. Place peaches, cut side down on grill. Cook until marks begin to form and peaches begin to soften, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and repeat. Once peaches are softened and have good marks, remove from grill.

Place half of pound cake slices at the bottom of a trifle dish or deep serving bowl. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons amaretto over the top. Add half of the custard and spread evenly. Distribute half of the peaches across the custard. Spread with half the whipped cream. Repeat, leaving a few peach slices out for garnish if desired. Top with slivered almonds and serve.

Alternately, you can use a biscuit cutter to cut pound cake to fit in mason jars for individual servings. Follow basic layering process above.