Recipes for Outdoor Entertaining

Try some of these no-fork favorites for your next outdoor party. Many steps can be done ahead, such as making the marinade, the crostini filling and the tart dough.

MARINATED SHRIMP SKEWERS

Serves 20.

From In Style magazine

• Wooden bamboo skewers

• 1 c. olive oil

• 1 c. chopped onion

• 1/2 c. chopped flat-leaf parsley

• 1/2 c. chopped basil

• 1/4 c. fresh lemon juice

• 2 tbsp. minced garlic

• 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

• 2 tsp. dry mustard

• 2 tsp. salt

• 1/4 tsp. pepper

• 3 lb. jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails intact

Directions

Soak the bamboo skewers for at least one hour before using them on the grill.

In large bowl, combine all ingredients; toss well. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.

Prepare charcoal or gas grill with medium-hot temperature.

Remove shrimp from marinade; discard marinade.

Grill 2 to 3 minutes, turning once, or until cooked through.

CROSTINI WITH ROASTED GARLIC, GOAT CHEESE AND APPLE CHUTNEY

Serves 8.

From Bon Appetit magazine

• 1 c. brown sugar

• 3/4 c. rice wine vinegar

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 1/2 tsp. minced peeled fresh ginger

• 1/8 tsp. cayenne

• 1 cinnamon stick

• 1 1/2 lb. Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced

• 1 c. golden raisins

• 1 c. diced, seeded plum tomatoes

• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh mint

• 1 baguette, cut into 1/3-in. slices

• Olive oil

• Roasted garlic (see recipe below)

• 12 oz. soft fresh goat cheese at room temperature.

Directions

Stir sugar and vinegar in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Add next four ingredients and simmer until mixture is syrupy and reduced to 1/2 cup, about 8 to 10 minutes. Mix in apples and raisins.

Increase heat to high and boil until apples are tender, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature. Mix in tomatoes and mint.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Arrange baguette slices on oiled baking sheet and brush each side with olive oil. Bake until golden and crisp, fewer than 8 minutes. Spread each toast with roasted garlic, top with goat cheese and chutney.

ROASTED GARLIC

Yields 1 1/2 cups.

• 4 large heads of garlic

• 1/4 c. olive oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut top quarter inch off heads of garlic to expose cloves. Place garlic in small baking dish. Add oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss to coat.

Turn garlic cut side up. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Bake until garlic skins are golden brown and cloves are tender, about 55 minutes. Cool. Squeeze garlic cloves from skins.

SWEET ROSEMARY PEAR PIZZA

Serves 8 to 10.

From "The Italian Country Table" by Lynne Rossetto Kasper

Pastry:

• 1 1/2 c. unbleached all-purpose flour

• Generous 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1 1/2 tsp. sugar

• 1/2 c. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter cut into chunks

• 1 large egg, beaten

• 2 to 3 tbsp. water

Topping:

• 4 firm to ripe Bosc pears

• 1/2 lemon

• Shredded zest of 1 large orange

• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh basil

• 1 tsp. fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 c. sugar

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil.

Directions

For pastry, combine dry ingredients in a food processor or large bowl. Cut in the butter with rapid pulses in the processor, or rub between your fingertips until the butter is the size of peas. Add the egg and 2 tablespoons of water. Pulse just until the dough gathers in clumps, or toss with a fork until evenly moistened. If the dough seems dry, blend in another 1/2 to 1 tablespoon water.

Oil a 14- to 16-inch pizza pan. Roll out the dough on a floured board to an extremely thin 17-inch round. Place onto the pan. Don't trim the excess pastry -- fold it over toward the center of the pie. Refrigerate 30 minutes to overnight.

Set an oven rack in the lowest position and preheat to 500 degrees. Take the dough out of the refrigerator.

Peel, core, halve and stem the pears. Slice vertically into 1/2-inch wedges, about 14 slices per pear. Moisten with a little lemon juice. Fold back the dough's rim so it hangs over the edge of the pan. Arrange the pear slices in an overlapping spiral on the dough, starting right at the rim of the pan. Sprinkle with the orange zest, basil, rosemary, cinnamon, pepper, sugar and oil. Flip the overhanging crust onto the pears.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pears are speckled golden brown and the crust is crisp. Cover the crust's rim with foil if it browns too quickly. Remove the pizza from the oven and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.