The summer is wrapping up; we've lit the charcoal and had some great meal s — hamburgers overloaded with the works, hot dogs with yellow mustard and relish, corn on the cob. Life is good. The grill still beckons, and will lend that incomparable flavor to anything I put on it. One of my favorites to grill is Tri-Tip Steak, prepared in a very simple marinade. Tri-Tip is big with me; the cost of other steaks can get prohibitive. So I often rely on a cheaper cut like the Tri-Tip, marinating it for several days. A touch of sugar will give the meat a great, browned color, and the vinegar tenderizes it. As soon as I get home from grocery shopping, before I have time to get lazy, I grab a zip-lock bag to put the beef into. I add a splash of red wine vinegar, soy sauce, olive oil, and sweetened black rice vinegar. The last item can be found in international markets, or you can skip that ingredient and just add a tablespoon or so of sugar. Zip-lock the bag, shake up the ingredients, and refrigerate for at least a day, or even up to five days. The flavor is great, even when I "cheat" and simply cook it in an iron pan. With the pan method, I get the pan smoking hot to sear both sides, turning the heat down to continue cooking the steak more slowly until it reaches the preferred doneness.

The time is ripe for summer's fruits and vegetables. Through the busy week, healthy meals are enjoyed, and hearty salads and grilled veggies comprise much of the menu. And all the sweet, juicy fruits make for energizing snacks. But now and then, I wonder... could I just snack on something that did not come off a tree?!

We get together with friends and share baskets of overflowing produce. I look forward to making some of next week's meals with these wonderful harvests, but perhaps the healthy stuff can wait until we're back into our weekly grind. For now, it's the weekend. Birthday parties are thrown together with ease — everyone can bring a dish to share and hang out outside. All are invited! With Labor Day around the corner, I'm ready to pull out the party foods, including a perennial favorite: Mint Chocolate Brownies. A final tribute to the long days of summer, we'll get that Tri-Tip Steak cooking, have some corn and salad, and grab a brownie while we're at it. The mint is so refreshing — it's really healthy, isn't it?!

MINT CHOCOLATE BROWNIES

This is an ever-popular hit with kids of all ages. For summer party potlucks and more—a light, easy, refreshing dessert. If my schedule is tight, I might make these several days early; after cutting them into squares, they can be frozen until serving. Serves 10-15.

FOR BROWNIES: Microwave 1-2 min. in ceramic bowl:

  1 stick butter 1 TBS. water ¾ c. sugar

Add, mixing in until melted:

  1 ⅓ c. chocolate chips

Next, add the chocolate mix to the following in mixer bowl:

  1 tsp. vanilla ¼ tsp. EACH salt & baking soda 1 c. flour 2 eggs

Mix all the above in mixer, 3-5 min. on high. Pour into 9 x 13" pan, lined with foil for easy cleanup. Bake at 350° for 20 min. Let cool completely in refrigerator, then turn out of pan, pulling foil off bottom. Put back in pan, spreading the following on when brownies have cooled (several hours).

FOR MINT FILLING: Microwave 1 min. in glass bowl:

1 stick butter

Add to bowl:

1 TBS. cream 1-2 drops green food coloring 1 tsp. mint extract

Mix the above well, then add:

2 ½ c. confectioner's sugar

Mix again; this will be a thick mixture. Spread on brownies and chill, ½ hr. or so.

FOR TOP LAYER: Microwave 1-2 min. in glass bowl:

5 sq. unsweetened chocolate

Drizzle melted chocolate on top of mint layer. Spread evenly over top with spatula. Chill 15 min. or so, then cut into bars.

Enjoy more recipes in Jennifer Cote's cookbook/devotional, From The Land Of Milk And Honey , from Winepress Publishing.