desserts for grilling

I just ate a peach and it was amazing. A good peach is one of those foods that can top a best foods ever list. You don't need to spend a lot of money or go some place special to taste one of the best things the world has to offer. We are right at the end of the summer, which means the late summer harvest of peaches is almost over. Go out and yourself a peach this week. Do it! Let me know how that goes.

Peach eating notes: if I want one peach I'll always buy two because you never know which ones are going to be mealy and gross. Also, I wait until they are extremely ripe. Eating a peach which is still a little crisp should be crime. They should be completely fleshy. If you really want to ripen a peach quickly put it in a brown paper bag. That might be myth, but I feel like there's probably some science behind it. I'll find out. Also, never put your peach in the fridge!

The end of summer also means the end to grilling (for most people.) I actually plan on barbecuing for many more months. I like grilling dessert when I'm making a bbq dinner. I usually grill a fruit and then serve it with vanilla ice cream. You can grill the fruit and then let is sit under some foil while you eat, or just put it on a cooler part of the grill while you eat so that it doesn't over cook.

Grilled Pineapple
serves 4-6

1 pineapple, cut into quarters
2 limes
2 T brown sugar

How to cut a pineapple into quarters: Use a serrated knife of a good length. Cut off the top and bottom of the pineapple so that you can stand it up. Take off columns of the outer rind, starting with your knife at the top of the fruit and sawing downward (convexly, reflecting the shape of the fruit.) Work your way around the pineapple until it's peeled. Make sure to get deep enough to get all of the prickly things, but not too deep and lose a lot of the fruit. Now cut it in half lengthwise twice, so that you get four quarters of pineapple. Stand up each quarter and cut off the inner triangle of woody core.

Juice the limes and mix with brown sugar. Brush this over your pineapple as they grill. Serve over ice cream.

Grilled Peaches
serves 2

1 peach, cut in half and pit removed

Grill cut side down. Server over ice cream.