Roy and I were at a wedding recently, and a guest came up to him with a beatific look on his face and said, “Remember that lamb you made five years ago?” They reminisced about how it was marinated in olive oil, garlic, rosemary, and lemon. It’s truly the sort of dish you might order for your last meal. Sumptuous food someone remembers five years later is what Roy is known for.

There’s a TikTok that says, “You know you’re spending life with the right person when…” and it really speaks to how I feel when I see Roy at the grill. He loves cooking, and to watch him create magic on the grill is the pinnacle of joy for me.

As a gal who’s willing to drag the entire dining room into my back yard, I appreciate being with a guy who goes all out and puts up a tent to grill in non-grilling weather.

I’m happy to grill 365 days a year, and it’s spectacular to share my life with a man who feels the same way. Plus, I appreciate his philosophy: let’s try not to get the kitchen dirty! We use our grill in Michigan for much of our everyday cooking.

I love the idea of easy eating—this from a gal who likes to overcomplicate recipes. But summer’s harvest of beautiful produce along with a grill make cooking truly easy. And it’s a simply sublime way to soak up the last days of the season. Grilling is a lovely way to gather and enjoy your family. Even on a warm day, people like to see what’s cooking.

Grilling isn’t just for barbecue. You can adapt side dishes and any kind of protein for it, and it’s wonderful for vegan dishes. Grill your portabella mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, peaches, or pineapple—some people even do watermelon!

One of my current favorites is my End of Summer Corn and Sausage Platter. Now is absolutely the moment! It’s a high-carb extravaganza, but so delicious and a total crowd pleaser. Another favorite is my Summer Grilled Shrimp Pasta. Serve it alongside a light salad of arugula with lemon and Parmesan. Simply delicious!

Now is the perfect time of year to go to the farmers market and choose an abundance of zucchini and yellow squash. Cut them into planks, grill, and serve with my fantastic Pistachio Pesto.

For assorted grilled vegetables, don’t cook them all at the same time. The idea is to cook each one properly. In addition to zucchini, asparagus, fennel, onions, pattypan squash, and bell peppers are also wonderful grilled.

One of my favorite summer meals is when Roy makes a Francheezie. It is so Roy, so old school, so soulful, harkening back to being a kid and having the best summer of my life.

Don’t forget this is also the perfect time of year for grilled peaches. They’re lovely as a side dish, or you can make them into a dessert with a bit of granola and a scoop of ice cream.

On Thanksgiving in the Midwest, a recipe for a grilled item can be a little challenging, because of the many variables: your grill, the weather, and your cooking method, to name a few. Nevertheless, on Thanksgiving we create Grill Central. Roy sets up a canopy tent with one or two Weber grills along with our gas grill.  It has an external burner, which makes cleaning up easier.

I assign someone the job of assistant manager, so Roy has company. They either assist with the grill or simply pour him a drink and chat while he does his thing. Everyone wants to be around the grilling master! I know I’m spending my life with the right person when I look outside and see Roy, a genius on the grill, surrounded by guests. He’s like a MacGyver out there!

A certain camaraderie happens around the grill. The lazy days of summer are coming to an end, so if you can get yourself near a grill, do it and cook up something fabulous.