Antipasto Salad
Grilled Ribs with Maple Barbecue Sauce
Roasted Red Peppers
Peach Cobbler   

Several foods call August their national month. The peach is one of them.

As food goes, the peach is old. Okay, as anything goes the peach is old. The first prunus persica was cultivated in China about 3,000 years ago. If you're keeping score at home, King David ruled the Israelites then, the Bronze Age was ending, and there were 50 million people living on the planet. Today that many people tailgate in America each year.

In China the peach was revered as a symbol of longevity. Today it's something we eat with ice cream. You can't stay on top forever, I guess.

I grew up in Texas where the two standard desserts were pecan pie and peach cobbler. My grandmother grew peaches on her farm and one of my best childhood memories is eating peach cobbler made from peaches picked from those trees. This peach cobbler recipe isn't my grandmother's - it's actually one I created for The Ultimate Tailgater's Travel Guide - but finishing your tailgate menu with it will make you a hit in the parking lot. Just don't forget the vanilla ice cream.  

Antipasto Salad

1 (10-ounce) package salad greens (about 10 cups)

1 (6-ounce) can pitted ripe olives, drained and halved

10 pepperoncini peppers

8 slices hard salami, quartered

1 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup Italian dressing

Place the greens, olives, peppers, salami, cheese, and dressing in a large bowl. Toss and serve.

Makes 4 servings  

Grilled Ribs with Maple Barbecue Sauce

2 slabs pork ribs, each trimmed and cut in half

Rub

1 Tablespoon salt

1 Tablespoon paprika

1 Tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon white pepper

Combine all rub ingredients and rub the mixture on all sides of the ribs. Let rest in refrigerator for 4 hours up to overnight.

Preheat grill to hot.

Place ribs on grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side. This will sear the meat to seal-in the juices and put grill marks on the meat.

Remove ribs from grill and place in standing rib rack and set aside.

Let grill cool and then preheat grill for indirect cooking.

Place ribs in rib rack on "cold" side of the grill. Cover and cook for 3 -4 hours or until meat is close to falling off of the bones. Brush barbecue sauce (recipe follows) on the meat and cook for 10 minutes more.

Remove ribs from rack and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Maple Barbecue Sauce

¾ cup maple syrup

1 cup ketchup

1 cup onion, finely chopped

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ cup water

2 Tablespoons garlic, chopped

½ teaspoon salt

Combine all ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 - 30 minutes, uncovered, until thickened.

Roasted Red Peppers

3 large red peppers

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon rosemary, chopped

¼ teaspoon basil, chopped

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Preheat grill to hot.

Slice the red peppers into 1-inch strips lengthwise; remove seeds and ribs. Place peppers on the grill skin side down and cook until the skin begins to burn (about 15 minutes). Remove and seal in a paper bag for 15 minutes. Remove peppers from the bag and peel off skins.

Splash with olive oil and sprinkle the herbs on top before serving.

Serves 6 - 8

Peach Cobbler

4 tablespoons butter
2 cups peeled, sliced peaches (about 3 medium peaches)

1 cup sugar (divided)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Place the margarine in a baking dish and melt it in the oven. Remove the baking dish from the oven when the margarine has melted.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan heat the peaches, 1/2 cup of the sugar, and the water until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, rest of the sugar, and milk together in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth.

Blend the flour mixture into the melted margarine in the baking dish. Mix in the peach mixture, and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until done.

Makes 8 to 12 servings

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More recipes at the Food Bowl