Father’s Day (or Any Day) Cookout

Dads love their grills, so it’s only natural that the Father’s Day menu in Party Vegan is entitled “Boys and Grills.” This easy and hearty menu makes the most of the fresh produce of summer with enough grilling to please even an omnivorous father on his special day.

Of course, this menu is a great for everyone — not just dads! Best of all, the various components are timed so that the grill doesn’t need to be crowded all at once. In fact, you can make the recipes either together or separately, anytime you feel like a cookout. In case of a rainy day, indoor cooking options are provided within each recipe.

The menu begins with vegetable dippers with creamy ranch-style dressing:

The main event features yummy barbequed vegan ribs slathered with a smoky and spicy sauce served with roasted corn, potatoes, and vegetable skewers, shown above. (Note: if you don't have time to make the ribz, you can just skewer some seitan, tempeh, or tofu chunks with bbq sauce and put them on the grill!) Dessert is a luscious blueberry-peach cobbler that takes advantage of the wonderful fresh fruit now coming into season:

— Cookout Menu —

Boys and Grills

Vegetable Dippers with Ranch Dressing

Spicy-Smoky BBQ Ribz

Foil-Roasted Corn and Potatoes

Grilled Vegetable Skewers

Blueberry-Peach Cobbler

Here’s a recipe from Party Vegan for my favorite way to enjoy corn and potatoes during the warm summer months:

Foil-Roasted Corn and Potatoes
These summertime favorites are great on the grill and easy to make when wrapped in foil. The optional addition of fresh herbs to the corn adds wonderful and unexpected flavor notes. This recipe is from Party Vegan: Fabulous Fun Food for Every Occasion by Robin Robertson © 2010, John Wiley and Sons.

4 medium russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled and scrubbed
Olive oil
Salt
8 ears corn, husks left on
Fresh basil leaves, thyme sprigs, and other herbs (optional)

1. Preheat the grill. Rub each potato with a small amount of olive oil and season with salt. Wrap each potato in a sheet of aluminum foil and place them on the grill, away from the hottest part of the grill. Close the lid and allow the potatoes to roast until softened, turning occasionally, 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the potatoes.
2. Remove the tough outer husks on the corn, leaving on the inner husks. Carefully pull back the inner husks; do not remove. Remove all the corn silk and discard. Rub the corn kernels with a small amount of oil and a few sprigs of fresh herbs, if desired. Bring the inner husks back up around the corn and wrap each ear in foil. Place the corn on a hot grill and cook, turning frequently to cook evenly and prevent charring, 8 to 10 minutes. Pile the corn and potatoes on a platter and serve immediately.
Serves 4

Rainy-Day Variation: Bake the potatoes in a 425 degree oven until soft, about 1 hour. Cook the corn in a large stock pot of unsalted boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes.

BTW... Party Vegan is selling for $11.47 now on Amazon -- a small price to pay for a book that can be your best friend in the kitchen all year long!  Party Vegan happens to be one of my personal favorites of all of my books.  If you have it and like it as much as I do, please leave a review on Amazon and/or other review outlet to let people know about it.  If you don't have it yet, now is a great time to buy.  Thanks!
 
And a special thanks to Tami Noyes for taking these great photos of the recipes when she tested them for Party Vegan.