A Crowd-Pleasing Cookout

My family always heralds the arrival of warm weather with our favorite food ritual, the backyard cookout. From June to September, we eat "out back" most evenings, often inviting a few friends and neighbors to join us.

For us, cookouts seem to stop the clock. Maybe it's because nothing is rushed, not even the timing, since meals don't have to be piping hot when the weather is warm. Or perhaps it's the scent of smoky foods that turns anticipation into part of the party. But most likely it's our shared euphoria at dining under the sky after an endless winter.

To make the most of backyard entertaining, I keep the menu to simple, well-seasoned foods both children and adults enjoy. Over the years, I've developed a stable of foolproof recipes that are easy and tasty and can be mixed and matched and even simplified when time is short.

ON THE MENU

Easy Pita Chips and Mexican Black Bean Dip
Asparagus Salad with Sweet Pepper Confetti
Mini Turkey Cheeseburgers
or
Peanut Pork or Chicken Kabobs
Grilled Pineapple Chutney
Smoky Potato Packets
Lemonade with Berry Ice Cubes
Chocolate Sorbet Sundaes

Choose a few of your favorites of the recipes featured here, follow the tips for do-ahead dishes, then ask friends to bring the rest or fill in with store-bought items. All that's left is to kick back and celebrate the relaxed atmosphere and smoky flavors you can only find when you dine alfresco.

Amy Cotler is a cooking teacher and the author of several cookbooks, including THE SECRET GARDEN COOKBOOK (HarperCollins), inspired by the children's classic of the same name).