Top off barbecue with peach melba

HYDE PARK, N.Y. — Something simple, like a grilled peach served with vanilla ice cream, raspberry sauce and a citrus cookie, makes a sensational ending to a summer barbecue. The flavor combination may seem grown up, but this fresh rendition of the classic peach melba will go down well with all ages.

Why grill a piece of fruit when you can simply slice it in half and serve it as is?

The answer is that grilling caramelizes the natural sugar of fruits, which makes them sweeter and more flavorful. It also softens their texture and helps fruits to release more juices. Stone fruits, such as peaches, nectarines and plums, do particularly well on the grill. They're firm enough to be placed directly on the cooking grate and sturdy enough to remain intact when turned over for charring.

Fruits are apt to pick up unwanted flavors from the grill, so it's especially important to clean the grate before placing the peaches on it. They'll cook quickly, so a brisk, hot fire is best. Keep a close watch: A little smoke and charring are good, but the natural sugars in the peaches are prone to burning. Too much blackening will result in a bitter taste. As soon as grill marks appear, turn them over to finish cooking. The peaches are done when the flesh is soft and tender.

If you plan to make dinner on the grill as well as dessert, you'll want to keep the fire hot enough to cook the peaches after the main entree is served and eaten. Since most of the components for the dessert — the ice cream, raspberry sauce and citrus crisps — can be purchased or prepared in advance, you will need to plan for just a few minutes of grill time.

Keeping the grill hot doesn't pose a problem for gas grills because they can be easily turned off and then fired up again for dessert. Charcoal grills, however, call for planning.

Bruce Mattel, associate professor in culinary arts at the Culinary Institute of America, offers the following advice on keeping the fire hot while serving dinner: "Cover the grill and close the vents three-quarters to minimize air circulation. This should maintain the proper temperature to cook the peaches if you get them on the grill within a half an hour or so.

"Warm from the grill, the sweet, tender peaches provide a flawless complement to the cool ice cream and lemon-scented cookies," he adds.

The following recipe has been adapted from the Culinary Institute of America's "Grilling" cookbook (Lebhar-Friedman, 2006, $35).

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GRILLED PEACHES

4 ripe, firm peaches, cut into halves and pits removed