Outdoor Entertaining: Still S’More Summer Left
August is the Sunday afternoon of summer. You know, the fun is not quite over, but it’s rapidly dwindling to a close. That familiar sense of dread signals to us that the real world beckons. That’s August. So, we could choose to allow ourselves to be wrapped in melancholy for an entire month, or we could embrace the impending end and just enjoy every last ounce of heat and humidity by squeezing every last drop of fun from this final month of summer. Let’s make it a month of pulling on the swimsuit first thing in the morning and maybe going right to PJs at sunset – with a whole lot of summer fun in between. August, we’re ready for you.
Certainly, by this time, you’ve done quite a bit of summer entertaining and are ready for and deserving of an easy, casual gathering as we settle into the hazy net of August. Admittedly, deciding on a party theme this time of year could be somewhat of a dilemma since August is generally free of national holidays. But fear not, because it does just happen to be National S’mores Month! Yep, there is such a thing and we will give it its due. What could be better than a backyard party honoring this tradition? Well, including pizza for the main course could make it better. With numerous options for a variety of pizza on the island, we could just order takeout, or you can make your own on the grill. It’s easy and delicious. We’ll top it off with our special event – a s’mores station with some interesting twists on the original; this could turn out to be your most enjoyable event yet.
So, to begin, mine will be a pool party – but no worries if you don’t have a pool. If yours is an afternoon gathering that includes kids or just some really fun adults, invest in a Slip N Slide or any other water-related fun activity. Try kiddie-pool kickball. Adults and kids can play together. You’ll need small inflatable kiddie pools for first, second and third bases and a Slip N Slide for some cool fun sliding into home plate. If you’re not into kickball, you can make a huge Slip N Slide with a large roll (or a few rolls) of heavy plastic (like you use for a dropcloth) found in the paint section of a hardware store, plus a few stakes for securing it into the ground, some shampoo or dish soap (for the slip) and a garden hose. Use pieces cut from a $1 pool noodle for some extra protection from the stakes. Put the stake through the pool-noodle piece and then into the plastic and the ground to protect little legs and feet. Squeeze on a little soap, turn the hose on it and start slipping and sliding!
With the fun established, let’s talk about the menu. Pizza is always a crowd-pleaser, and we’ve got two options, depending on how much August cooking you want to do. Order a variety of pizza from Circle Pizza, Tonio’s, or Concord Café – all excellent choices – or ask them if you can purchase dough to make your own. If you do takeout, order a variety including plain, pepperoni and veggie. If buying dough to make your own, cook it on the grill. You’ll get perfectly crisp, charred pizza crust once you master the flipping process. Use a baking sheet with no edges for pressing out the dough initially and then later for help with flipping the crust. Use oil rather than a nonstick spray for coating the grill grates to help keep the dough from sticking. In total, grilling the pizza should take no more than about 5 minutes. Follow the instructions and you’ll get good at this in no time.
Time for the star of the show, the s’mores. If you have a firepit, now is the time to drag it out. As the August afternoon wanes to evening, light it up and get it hot. The most important piece of equipment here is the skewer. Long wooden ones are best. If you’ve not had time to search the woods for the perfect twigs, you’ll find exactly what you need at Hoy’s 5 & 10 in the barbecue section. As far as setup, you can have the s’mores station pretty much ready to go except for the chocolate – keep it in the air-conditioned house or refrigerator until you are ready. Seashore August weather can make marshmallows sticky, but if you put them in a closed container after dusting them with powdered sugar, they should be OK. Be creative with your display – this is your décor, after all. I’ll have some skewers displayed and ready with marshmallows on them just because they look so good. Trays or dishes each filled with the rest of the ingredients work well.
As far as the s’mores menu, of course we will offer the Traditional S’more – graham cracker/marshmallow/Hershey’s chocolate – but we’ll also mix things up a bit because s’mores deserve so much more glory, particularly during National S’mores Month. We’ll stock our s’mores station with an interesting variety of ingredients, including the crackers. Of course, grahams (and gluten-free grahams) will be available, but we’ll also offer cookies – Tate’s Chocolate Chip.
For a real taste experience, I use Ritz Crackers for a custom version I call the Sweet and Salty S’more. The salty cracker flavor combined with marshmallow and chocolatey sweetness is sheer perfection. Try it. You won’t be disappointed.
Another up-and-coming favorite is the Salted Caramel S’more. Marshmallows actually now come in some unique varieties, including a caramel swirl flavor, but I find the regular variety still work well with new ingredients. Try placing a caramel on the skewer right above the marshmallow before toasting. As you toast them together, the caramel oozes all over the marshmallow. Place this gooey mess on either a Ritz cracker or a graham, sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt and top with another cracker. Amazing.
For the peanut-butter fan, there’s the Nutter Butter S’more. Use a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup instead of a chocolate bar.
Another for the nutty crowd is the Nutella S’more. Just like it sounds, just spread the cracker or cookie with Nutella before adding the marshmallow.
I also like offering the jumbo campfire marshmallow for those who prefer the marshmallow alone or are fans of the extra-gooey s’mores. The jumbo along with a Hershey’s Kiss makes a great Crackerless S’more. For that, toast your jumbo marshmallow extra hot, slide off the skewer and then insert a Hershey Kiss from the top of the marshmallow into the center. It will be missing the crunch, but if ooey, gooey sweetness is what you’re after, you’ve got it.
You can expect some of your more creative guests to come up with new and interesting varieties, and the fun will continue as long as the marshmallows remain; after all, your guests are squeezing the last bit of summer sweetness out of their August days, too.
So, there you go, August. With a little attitude adjustment, you’re not so bad after all. You’re just an opportunity for another 30 days to spend swimming, playing, gathering, eating and sharing summer’s gifts on an island filled with the best Mother Nature has to offer. Party on!
Ingredients for 1 Pizza:
1 pound pizza dough
1 pound fresh mozzarella, sliced thin and patted dry
¾ cups pizza sauce per pizza
Toppings
Herbs and seasonings
Shredded cheese
Vegetable oil
Flour as needed
Instructions:
Dust a no-edge cookie sheet with flour. Prepare pizza toppings. Pour some olive or vegetable oil in a bowl. Press the dough in a thin rectangle. Pull the dough up and sprinkle more flour underneath to keep the dough from sticking.
Prepare the grill for high direct heat. With a brush or folded paper towel, coat grill grates with oil. Carefully slide pizza dough onto the grill. Close the grill and cook for 2-4 minutes. Using tongs to lift, see if bottom of dough is lightly browned.
Using tongs and the pan, flip the pizza dough grilled-side up. Brush pizza crust with oil and spread sauce. Top with cheese and toppings of your choice. Close the grill and cook for another 2-3 minutes or until the bottom is a crispy brown and cheese is melted. If the dough is brown but the toppings still need more time, lower the heat and let cook for an additional 2 minutes.
Transfer pizza to a cutting board. Sprinkle with more herbs and seasonings and extra shaved or finely shredded cheese. Serve.
Traditional S’more Instructions
(as if you really need them!)
Place the marshmallow on the end of the stick and hold it over the fire. Some people like them lightly toasted and golden-browned, but they are also good when they get burnt and crispy. If you do burn the outside and don’t care for the charred marshmallow, you can remove the outer burnt edge once slightly cooled and put the rest of the marshmallow back over the fire for a lighter roasting.
Once your marshmallow has been properly roasted, sandwich it between two graham crackers – and don’t forget the chocolate! The best kind of s’more will melt all together for you to enjoy.
