Recipes: 'Summer Gatherings'

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Grilled Chicken with White Rosemary Barbecue Sauce

Makes 6 to 8 servings

1 1/3 cups mayonnaise

Grated zest of 1 lemon

½ cup fresh lemon juice

4 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 garlic cloves, crushed through a press

Two 4 pound chickens, each cut into 8 serving pieces

1 ½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. To make the sauce, whisk the mayonnaise, lemon zest and juice, rosemary, and garlic together. (The sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead, covered, and refrigerated.)

2. Build a fire for indirect grilling in an outdoor grill. For a charcoal grill, leave the coals heaped in a mound in the center. For a gas grill, preheat on High. Then leave one burner on high and turn the other burner(s) off.

3. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Lightly oil the cooking grate. Place the chicken on the unheated areas of the grill (that is, on the perimeter around, but not over, the coals in the charcoal grill, or over the off burners of the gas grill). Cover and grill for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken, cover, and continue grilling until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast reads 165°, about 20 minutes more.

4. Move the chicken to the hot area of the grill (over the coals of the charcoal grill, and over the high burner of the gas grill). Brush the chicken all over with the mayonnaise mixture. Grill, turning and basting occasionally with the remaining mayonnaise mixture, until the mayonnaise has reduced to a mostly transparent glaze, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a platter and serve hot, with the remaining sauce passed on the side, if you wish.

Spaghetti with Roasted Summer Vegetable

Extra virgin olive oil

2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise and seeded

1 medium red bell pepper seeded, cored, and quartered lengthwise

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered lengthwise

1 medium zucchini, scrubbed and cut into 1 ½-inch chunks

1 jalapeño chile, halved lengthwise and seeded

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large head garlic, unpeeled, cut in half crosswise

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

¼ cup chapped fresh oregano

1 pound spaghetti

Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

1. To make the sauce, position an oven rack in the top third of the oven and preheat the oven to 450°. Line a large rimmed baking sheet, such as a 12 x 17-inch "half sheet" pan, with aluminum foil, and oil the foil with some olive oil.

2. Arrange the tomatoes, red bell pepper, onion, zucchini, and jalapeño, cut sides up, on the pan. Brush with about 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the garlic, cut sides down, on the pan. Roast until the vegetables are tender and the edges are beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.

3. Cool until the vegetables are easy to handle. Remove the tomato skins and seeds from the tomato flesh and reserve both in a bowl. Strain the tomato skins and seeds in a wire sieve, pressing hard on them to remove the juices. Combine the tomatoes, strained juices, red pepper, onion, and jalapeño in a food processor. Squeeze in the garlic flesh from the hulls. Add the basil and oregano. Pulse to make a coarsely chopped sauce. Season with salt and pepper. (The sauce can be made up to 2 days ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated.) Transfer to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until simmering. Keep warm.

4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook according to the package instructions. Drain well. Return the pasta to the warm cooking pot, add the sauce, and mix well.

5. Serve hot in individual bowls, with a bowl of Parmesan passed at the table.