Raspberry Purée

1 pint raspberries
¼ C lime juice
1/3 C sugar
1-2 tsp corn starch

Purée all ingredients in a blender; if desired, strain out seeds. Heat gently in a saucepan to thicken. Serve (warm or chilled) over fruit, ice cream, cheesecake, angel food cake...

I like lime juice with the raspberries, but lemon works fine too (with raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries...) With raspberries, 1/3 C sugar tastes about right to me, but use less sugar with sweeter blueberries or blackberries.

Grilled Peaches (Plums, Nectarines...)

Peaches, nectarines and plums get a deep, carmel-like flavor when cooked on a grill (or under a broiler) that makes them even more delicious! A few tips...

* Just-ripe fruit works best; if it's very soft/over-ripe to begin with, it gets TOO soft when cooked.

* Coat grill with a light layer of non-stick cooking spray ("high heat" varieties for grilling are great, but anything works) OR lightly brush fruit surface with olive oil or melted butter.

* Place fruit on the grill for just a minute or two to sear. Check the underside -- once it's golden with grill marks, turn it over to finish cooking.

* Add flavor by sprinkling fruit with cinnamon or nutmeg, if desired. Or drizzle with a berry purée.

* Fruit skewers are a fun way to serve it too.

Orange & Pale Ale Marinade

Makes enough for about 2 lbs meat.

½ C medium-bodied beer - pale ale
zest and juice of 1 orange
1 Tbls olive oil
1 Tbls soy sauce
1 garlic clove, minced
½ onion
1 tsp salt

Peel onion and shred on a grater. Whisk together all ingredients. Put meat in a glass baking dish; coat with marinade. Bake...

This was not my favorite marinade. I generally like the zingy sweet of citrus (in case you hadn't noticed in many of the recent marinade recipes). I don't like beer, though I have other recipes/marinades made with beer that I DO like. Mostly this one was just rather bitter. Maybe with a different ale and a sweet onion...

Lemon-Basil Chile Glaze

¾ C (6 oz) thawed frozen lemonade concentrate
¼ C chopped fresh basil leaves
1 Tbls olive oil
zest of 4 lemons
¼ C lemon juice
1 tsp red chile flakes

Combine all ingredients. Use glaze to baste meat while grilling.
Makes enough for 4 lbs meat.

Broiled Fruit Desserts

More of a reminder than a recipe. I usually do this with apples or bananas (I almost always have one or the other around), but I have done the same with peaches and plums; other fruits could work too.

Slice the fruit, thinly, and place it in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with foil and lightly coated with non-stick cooking spray. I often 'dot' it with butter or sprinkle lightly with lemon juice. If desired, sprinkle with white or brown sugar. Sometimes I use sugar-cinnamon. Put it under the broiler long enough for the fruit to brown and begin to carmelize. If you want, turn the fruit and brown both sides.

The fruit can also be browned in a fry pan (with butter), or toasted on the grill.

Pictured: Apples...like apple pie, without the crust.

Honey-Lime Marinade

Makes enough for about 2 lbs meat.

¼ C olive oil
¼ C lime juice
zest of 2 limes
2 tsp honey
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
½ tsp cayenne

Whisk all ingredients together. Put meat into a glass baking dish and pour marinade over it, turning to coat. Marinate 1-3 hours. Grill, broil, bake...

For a stickier glaze, mix 2 more Tbls honey with 1 Tbls lime juice and brush onto meat during last 5 minutes of cooking.

Sticky Brown Sugar Glaze

It's June. We're PAST Memorial day. Even if the weather isn't exactly cooperating yet, it's GRILLING TIME. I have a few marinade recipes I'll post over the next few days, weeks...

1½ C brown sugar
3 Tbls cider vinegar
3 Tbls beer or water
½ - 1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp dry mustard

Combine all ingredients. Use this glaze to baste meat while grilling. Makes enough for 4 lbs meat.