Summer and Smoke

The best thing about barbecues--wonderful smoky flavor aside--is the easy informality that comes with grilling. A barbecue makes a great party because it involves team cooking, and everybody can get in on the act. This menu makes the most of the team aspect of barbecue cooking: One person is in the kitchen while the other tends the grill.

This is a perfect meal for a 4th of July party: it’s an updated All-American menu that would make almost anybody happy.

A few practical notes about fueling the barbecue fire: Adding apple, cherry, hickory or mesquite woods to a hot charcoal barbecue adds interesting nuances to grilled foods. Buy these woods in chunks rather than chips because the chunks smoke longer and won’t slip down between the coals. A few chunks will do; too much wood may overwhelm the flavor of the food. Thoroughly soak the wood in water and toss it onto the hot fire just before cooking. Grapevines and herbs thrown onto hot coals also offer subtle enhancements to grilled foods.

At its best, barbecue heat is variable. Most grills have hot spots and that’s where the beef and potatoes should be cooked, since both involve short-order grilling. Move the food around as it cooks to be sure that the heat exposure is effective . . . not too much or too little.

Here, blue cheese-mushroom filling makes a conservative amount of grilled meat acceptable to the most enthusiastic meat-eaters. It’s a festive meat dish, perfect for summer entertaining. Have the butcher slice the meat; otherwise, partially freeze it for easy slicing.

BEEF TENDERLOIN “SANDWICHES�

12 (2 1/2-ounce, 1/2-inch thick) slices beef tenderloin, well-trimmed

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1 large shallot, minced

3 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup dry vermouth

2 tablespoons safflower oil

Salt, pepper

Blue Cheese-Mushroom Filling

Place beef in large plastic food bag. Add garlic, shallot, Worcestershire sauce, vermouth and safflower oil to beef. Mix well. Close bag next to meat. Refrigerate and allow to marinate several hours or overnight.

Remove beef from marinade and reserve marinade. Season meat to taste with salt and pepper. Grill over hot coals until desired doneness, about 2 minutes per side for medium rare, basting frequently with reserved marinade.

To serve, spoon hot Blue Cheese-Mushroom Filling on 6 beef slices, dividing evenly. Close each with remaining beef slices. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Blue Cheese-Mushroom Filling

3 tablespoons dried mushrooms

1/2 cup hot water

1 tablespoon safflower oil

1 pound mushrooms, trimmed, thinly sliced

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

Freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon freshly snipped chives

Soak dried mushrooms in hot water 1/2 hour. If water becomes gritty, pour through sieve lined with double-thickness paper towels. Reserve.

Place oil in 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add soaked mushrooms, soaking liquid and fresh mushrooms and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are slightly tender, about 5 minutes. Can be made several hours ahead to this point and kept at room temperature. When ready to serve, reheat gently, adding water to skillet if too dry. When hot, add blue cheese. Toss to mix. Heat through only. Remove from heat. Add pepper and chives.

Precooking the potatoes takes effort, but it does prevent the charring that usually occurs with potatoes on the grill. Puncturing the foil with holes allows some of the smokiness to permeate the potatoes.

GRILLED NEW POTATOES WITH GARLIC AND ROSEMARY

18 small (not tiny) new potatoes, scrubbed, about 1 3/4 pounds total

2 large cloves garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons dried rosemary

2 tablespoons light-tasting olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

Cook potatoes on stove top in water to cover or in microwave oven on HIGH (100% power) until almost tender. Drain potatoes. Toss with garlic, rosemary and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Can be prepared day ahead to this point and refrigerated.

To grill, divide potatoes in half. Place each batch in single layer between 2 large pieces heavy duty foil (or double thickness regular foil). Bring up ends of foil to close airtight. Puncture several holes in each package. Place on grill rack over hot coals, turning several times, until cooked, about 7 minutes total. Unwrap and serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

This slaw is loaded with color and great flavor; it can be served right after it’s tossed or a day later (I prefer the texture of the slaw right after it’s mixed together). Be sure to read the note on how to easily roast peppers without standing over them. With this method, there’s no need to turn them as they blacken (or seed or core them since that’s quickly discarded in the process of removing the slabs).

FIVE-COLOR SLAW WITH ROASTED PEPPERS

3 large sweet red, green and yellow peppers, roasted

1 medium red onion, split and thinly sliced

1 medium head red cabbage, split, cored and thinly sliced

3 large carrots, peeled and coarsely shredded

Dressing

Cut roasted peppers into thin, long juliennes. Place in 2-quart mixing bowl and add red onion, red cabbage and carrots. Toss well to combine.

Add Dressing and toss well to combine. Can be made day ahead, refrigerated, covered airtight. Adjust seasonings and vinegar balance before serving. Makes 6 servings.

Note : To roast peppers, stand vegetable on board and cut sides off in 4 slabs. Arrange, skin-side-up, on baking sheet lined with foil or skin-side-down on grill. Broil 6 inches from heat or grill until skin is blackened. Wrap in foil. Slip off skins when cool enough to handle. Rinse off if necessary.

Dressing

5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons light-tasting olive oil

3 tablespoons water

1/2 teaspoon celery seeds

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 teaspoon sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper

Combine vinegar, olive oil, water, celery seeds, oregano, basil, sugar, salt and pepper in 2-cup bowl.

These decidedly decadent fudgy brownies contain a distinct caramel layer. They are best served chilled. Any leftover pieces and crumbs of brownies can be folded into softened ice cream or mixed into a hot - fudge sauce and spooned over ice cream. I’ve suggested cutting these brownies into one-inch squares because they’re sweet, almost like candy; but then, I haven’t seen anyone stop at one yet!

GLAZED DOUBLE-FUDGE CARAMEL BROWNIES

3/4 cup unsalted butter or margarine, softened

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

8 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted

1/3 cup cake flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup chopped walnuts

2/3 cup semisweet chocolate pieces

Caramel Layer

Glaze

Line 8-inch-square pan with foil (most easily lined by first inverting pan, shaping foil over it, then placing foil shape into pan). Gently press foil into place, especially in corners. Butter foil, then coat lightly with flour, tapping out excess.

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until smooth. Stir in melted chocolate.

Sift together cake flour, baking powder and salt. Add to batter. Mix until smooth. Stir in walnuts and 2/3 cup chocolate pieces.

Transfer half of batter to prepared pan, spreading evenly. Freeze until firm, about 10 minutes. Pour Caramel Layer over brownie layer, using back of spoon to spread over entire surface, little thinner layer at edges than at center of pan. Refreeze until caramel layer is firm, about 5 minutes. Spread remaining brownie batter evenly over caramel.

Bake in center of oven at 325 degrees until brownies come away slightly from sides of foil and wood pick inserted in center comes out with sheer coating of melted chocolate and caramel but no thick batter, about 40 minutes. Cool completely on rack. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight, covered airtight. Spread Glaze over brownies. Chill, covered with foil.

Remove brownies from pan, using foil. Place brownies on cutting board. Discard foil. Cut brownies into 1-inch squares. May be cut and kept refrigerated, wrapped airtight, for as long as 2 days or frozen as long as 1 month. Thaw in airtight container in refrigerator. Serve chilled. Makes 36 (1-inch) squares.

Caramel Sauce

14 ounces caramels

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 tablespoons whipping cream

Gently melt caramels and 1 tablespoon butter with cream in saucepan over low heat, stirring often until smooth. Or heat in microwave oven at MEDIUM (50% power) until melted, about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often until smooth.

Glaze

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 ounces semisweet chocolate

Dash salt

2 tablespoons whipping cream, about

1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine butter and chocolate in top of double boiler and melt over simmering water. Or microwave to melt at lowest setting, stirring often. Do not overcook, or glaze will be gritty. Remove from heat. Add salt, 1 tablespoon cream, powdered sugar and vanilla. Stir gently to combine. Stir in additional cream as needed for desired texture.