Food & Wine's 25 Five-Star Labor Day Recipes

Food & Wine has published a collection of 25 recipes for a final summer celebration over the Labor Day weekend. Each dish in the roundup carries a five-star rating from the publication's readers. Foodandwine.com first reported the story.

The collection emphasizes grilling across nearly every course. It includes smoky salads, charred sides, grilled meats and seafood, and even desserts prepared over coals. The timing coincides with the peak season for produce like peppers, tomatoes, corn, okra, berries, melons, and stone fruits.

Appetizers and Salads

Several recipes are designed as starters or light dishes. Julia Levy Freeman's Mango Sticky Rice Rolls wrap ripe mango and coconut-scented sticky rice in rice paper for a handheld tropical dessert. Marianne Williams offers Al Pastor Meatballs with Pineapple Jelly, where the meatball mixture can be made a day in advance.

For a simple vegetable dish, chef Marcela Valladolid's Summer Squash Carpaccio features thinly sliced yellow squash dressed with chopped dates, pepitas, Tajín, and mint. A Classic Deviled Eggs recipe comes from Napa's Genova Delicatessen, using a short ingredient list and garnishes of dill and paprika. A Peach, Tomato, and Feta Salad includes a candied jalapeño dressing served over arugula with basil.

A Chile-Coconut Watermelon Crudo marinates melon in coconut water and lime before topping it with toasted coconut, fried shallots, chile, and salted sugar.

Main Courses from the Grill and Pot

Grilled proteins feature prominently. Hunter Lewis, the editor-in-chief, shares his method for A Proper Shrimp Boil, cooking wild shrimp, smoked sausage, corn, and potatoes in a white wine and clam juice broth. Chile Crisp Shrimp Rolls replace mayonnaise with a mix of chile crisp, lime, and ginger, served in a brioche bun with a celery-scallion-cilantro relish.

Chef Zoe Adjonyoh's Grilled Prawns with Okra and Eggplant is a West African-inspired dish where the shellfish is served over a sauté of okra, spinach, and baby eggplant seasoned with grains of paradise. Nicole Hopper's Buffalo Chicken Smashed Potato Salad is described as a mashup transitioning from summer to football season.

For hot dogs, chef Claudette Zepeda's Chorizo and Kimchi Dogs pile crumbled chorizo, kimchi slaw, and cilantro crema onto the bun. Chef Tyler Florence makes Grilled Italian Sausage with a homemade grilled-apple and onion mustard and giardiniera.

Barbecue expert Steven Raichlen provides a recipe for Big Bob’s Smoked Chicken with White Barbecue Sauce, a tangy, mayonnaise-and-vinegar-based sauce allegedly invented at Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in the 1920s. Chef Bricia Lopez shares Pollo Yucateco Asado, a Yucatán-style grilled chicken marinated in sour orange juice and achiote.

Grilled Halibut with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce uses a garlicky pepper marinade that also serves as a finishing sauce. For a vegetarian option, Grilled Halloumi Burgers feature the cheese dusted with cumin and topped with a citrus olive tapenade.

Sides and Supporting Dishes

The roundup includes substantial sides. A Warm Puttanesca Pasta Salad incorporates classic puttanesca flavors into a pasta dish. Grilled Summer Squash with Roasted Pistachio Sauce chars zucchini, yellow squash, chiles, and tomatillos in a cast-iron skillet to accompany a creamy pistachio sauce inspired by chef Rob Rubba.

The full list of 25 recipes is available on the Food & Wine website, where readers can save them to a personal collection.