Just because summer is coming to a close and kids are back in school doesn't mean grilling season has to end. In fact, there are at least two good months of grilling left. Months where you won’t be freezing outdoors but you don’t have to stand next to a flaming hot grill in the August heat. September, October and even parts of November are a wonderful time to cook outside, no matter what type of grill you have (as winter descends, charcoal grills become a little more difficult to get started). That, combined with a warm sweater and drink in the back yard by the fire pit, is what gets me through the fall.

While summer barbequing is the essence of casual grilling, I find that outdoor cooking in the fall becomes just a tad more formal. Hot dogs and hamburgers that were so tempting in July are played out come September or October. And, besides, it’s no fun eating that kind of food inside; that sort of thing should be eaten out in the sun, plate optional.

There are all sorts of way to dress up a meal cooked on the grill, but one of the best is to do it on skewers. It’s both intrinsically grilled yet inherently dressy. The cooking time for most small cuts of meat is quite short, so you don’t have to spend too much time outside if you don’t want to. And if you apply just a little bit of care and thought to the assembly, the presentation can be beautiful without an extraordinary amount of skill or time required.

SAMPLE MENU
To test the range of this style of grilling, I served a three-course meal done entirely on skewers to a dinner party of eight people.

Appetizer: We started off with extra sweet cantaloupe with proscuitto weaved around it, a fun take on the traditional Italian salad appetizer. The proscuitto was crisp and the melon mouthwatering.

Main Course: Next came the surf-and-turf entrée. The shrimp was marinated in beer and olive oil. On the skewer went a basil leaf, the bottom end of the shrimp, a grape tomato, the top end of the shrimp and one more repetition of the same. The effect of the grape tomato in the middle of the shrimp was a real show stopper. And so easy to do!

Also on the surf side were scallops marinated in butter and olive oil. I cheaped out and bought a frozen bag from Costco. They certainly weren’t the best I ever had, but I was rather pleased with how they came out. I alternated the scallops with red, yellow and orange bell peppers. The contrasting colors were another easy way to achieve an attractive dish. Each skewer had two scallops on it.

Next came the beef tenderloin with semi-baked garlic. If put on raw, the garlic wouldn’t have cooked enough to achieve that tasty sweet effect you get with roasted garlic, especially since the fillet shouldn’t be on the grill for very long. I pre-baked the garlic enough to achieve the right flavor but not so long that it would become too mushy for the skewer. You’re going to have to monitor this one, but I’d say about 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven should just about do the trick. The biggest problem with steak skewers is that people tend to cook the crap out of them. Treat these skewers just as you would treat a steak on the grill. Cooking them at a high heat for just three minutes (depending on how small you cut them) should do the trick.

For a side dish, I served mushrooms wrapped in bacon. I put one end of the bacon on the skewer and then three mushrooms. I poked the middle of the bacon through the other end of the skewer and then wrapped it back down to the bottom, where I secured the bacon to the place I started. The bacon is thus wrapped around the sides of the mushrooms, offering an opportunity to cook both ingredients. I cooked this bad boy on indirect heat, with the mushrooms on the grill grates. The convection of the closed grill cooked the bacon while the mushrooms were grilled to perfection.

Dessert: To finish, I grilled a selection of fruit served with a homemade chocolate sauce. A piece of pineapple went on first, then a strawberry with the stem intact and finally a round of banana still in the peel. Cook on indirect heat, finishing them off by quickly searing each side on high heat. Delicious. To make the chocolate sauce, melt three chocolate bars, two tablespoons of Nutella and a quarter cup of half and half in a double boiler. Either drizzle over the finished skewers or serve the sauce in a bowl for dipping.

TIPS & TRICKS

• Don’t do too much to the food. A simple marinade or a few seasonings rubbed on is the most you need. There is beauty in simplicity. Get the best ingredients you can afford and don’t be afraid to showcase them as they are. Good cuts of meats like beef, especially, only need to be rubbed with a little bit of high grade olive oil, salt and pepper.
• Chicken is one of the few meats on skewers that I suggest cooking “low and slow.” Many skewers only need a few minutes, but I’d put chicken on very low heat and let it cook slowly until done (the amount of time depends on the size you cut it).
• Don’t overcomplicate the skewers. I’d rather have lots of different varieties of skewers than less skewers with too much going on. I try not to put more than two or three ingredients on a single skewer. This makes them more attractive and showcases the ingredients better.
• Each skewer should be one small portion. Avoid putting too much on a single skewer. Two or three pieces of meat are more than enough. They look better and allow people to try a variety of skewered offerings.
• Make about two of each type of skewer per person. Sometimes I do two and a half to three and a half per person (the “half” means that the hungry people or the folks who really love a certain skewer get to have an extra one). If you’re doing several types, you don’t need to do more than that. On occasion, if I’m working with a more expensive ingredient or something I just don’t have a lot of, I will do only one per person. Just be sure to make everyone aware that there aren’t many of them!
• Put things together that need similar amounts of time to cook. Accidentally putting an ingredient that doesn’t need much time with one that does is a recipe for disaster.
• Give yourself time to prepare your skewers. I always, always, always underestimate how long the assembly will take. Luckily, this is something you can do in advance so everything’s ready to go by the time company arrives.
• Not everything has to be cut in squares or rounds. Feel free to mix things up, preparing them in unexpected shapes such as rectangles or triangles. A long rectangular strip of steak could look gorgeous on a skewer with the right accompaniment.
• Get creative. Scout grocery stores like Eden Gourmet for ingredients to put on skewers that your guests wouldn’t expect. I’ve been dying to find a good use for caper berries, the big brother of the capers you typically find on a bagel and smoked salmon platter. My mouth waters at the thought of a tuna square and caper berry skewer. You’d be surprised at how many things could work on a skewer.

There are many types of skewers out there for you to use. Even with the traditional bamboo or wood skewers, there are different sizes you can use. I like ones that are slightly smaller than typical, allowing for the perfect portion while taking up less space on the grill. Don’t forget to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes prior to cooking! Additionally, there are metal skewers, double skewers, cast iron skewers and even wide, flat skewers that help prevent food from turning and wobbling around. Crossing two skewers like an “X” will also help avoid ingredients moving around and falling off the skewers when you flip them.

But enough of this. It’s time for you to get up and start your skewer assembly. Be sure to get your money’s worth out of that grill this fall!

Ben Salmon is a former literary agent and the owner of Kitchen a la Mode: Accessories for Cooking & Entertaining in the heart of downtown South Orange. Each week, his local food column at Patch explores the food and drink scene in the area.

Know any cool local foodies I should write about? Drop me a line.