Last summer I hosted a big party at the farm for a group of co-workers and their families. Six well-known chefs and I “turned up the heat” and barbecued, grilled and melted all sorts of things on several types of grills. One of the chefs, Brad Farmerie, of Public and Saxon + Parole restaurants in New York City, cooked up a platter of Maine lobster and corn over a wood fire. Another popular station was the s’mores grill, where carefully charred store-bought marshmallows married with delicious milk chocolate and homemade graham crackers.

What I learned that day was that grilling is all about fresh food, excellent seasonings and precise heat, or “fire,” as expert chefs call the wood, charcoal, or gas-fired open or covered grills that we all use and love.

I am not an expert griller like Emeril Lagasse, one of the guest chefs. But no matter your barbecue style or preference, finding the best seasonal ingredients and a grill that fits your needs will guarantee a flavorful outdoor meal.

Star S’mores

Makes 16.

Not only are these s’mores patriotic, they are customizable. We like having a mix of chocolate bars on hand so guests have a choice. Try Norway’s Freia milk chocolate, Ghirardelli dark chocolate with caramel, Ritter Sport praline and Perugina cappuccino.

Cookies:

11⁄2 C all-purpose flour, plus more for surface

1 C whole-wheat flour

1⁄2 C toasted wheat germ

1⁄2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3⁄4 C packed light-brown sugar

2 TBS honey

S’mores:

8 ounces chocolate, broken into small pieces

16 clean twigs or wooden skewers (preferably soaked in water 30 minutes)

32 marshmallows

Cookies: Whisk together flours, wheat germ, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.

Beat together butter, sugar and honey with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; beat until combined.

Turn out dough onto a floured surface, and divide in half. Roll out each dough half to 1⁄8-inch thickness, and refrigerate until firm, about 10 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut out squares with a 3-inch fluted square cutter. Cut a star out of the center of half the cookies using a 1.5-inch star cutter. Reroll scraps once, and repeat.

Place squares 1 inch apart on parchment-lined baking sheets, keeping cookies with cutouts together. Refrigerate until very firm, about 15 minutes.

Bake cookies until dark brown, 14 to 16 minutes, rotating halfway through (star cookies take about 1 minute less). Let cool on sheets 10 minutes. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to 2 days.

S’mores: Preheat grill on high (if using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grill for just 2 seconds) or build a campfire. Divide chocolate among cookies without cutouts. Skewer marshmallows; toast over grill or fire, rotating, until gooey in center and nicely charred, about 2 minutes. Remove marshmallows from skewers; place 2 on each chocolate-topped cookie. Sandwich each with a cutout star cookie; press gently. Let sit 2 minutes to melt chocolate.

Grilled Lobster and Corn on the Cob with Sun-dried Chili Butter

Makes 6 servings.

Grilled lobster and corn on the cob are brushed with spicy butter in this delicious recipe from chef Brad Farmerie.

Chili Butter:

2 sticks unsalted butter

1⁄4 C Aleppo pepper flakes (deandeluca.com)

Lobster:

6 lobsters (1 1⁄4 lbs each)

1⁄4 C extra-virgin olive oil

3 lemons, halved

Freshly ground pepper

Corn:

1⁄4 C extra-virgin olive oil

1 TBS water

6 ears corn, shucked

For Serving:

1⁄4 C chopped fresh chives

Cherry tomatoes (preferably on vine)

1 lime, quartered

Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Chili butter: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, and cook, stirring constantly, until pale golden brown. Stir in Aleppo pepper, and remove from heat.

Lobster: Bring water to a boil in a large lobster pot. Add lobsters, 2 at a time, and cook until bright red, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from water with tongs, and return water to a boil between each batch. When cool enough to handle, twist off tails and halve them lengthwise. Remove claws, and crack open, then discard heads. Transfer tails and claws (do not remove meat from shells) to a large bowl, and add oil, lemons and pepper; toss to combine.

Preheat grill: If using a charcoal grill, make a fire in the grill. When coals are completely covered in gray ash, place your hand 5 inches above grill grates; when you can hold it there just 2 to 3 seconds, you are ready to grill. If you are using a gas grill, preheat grill on high 15 minutes with lid closed. Before beginning to cook, reduce heat by turning knobs to medium-high.

Corn: Whisk together oil and water. Place corn in a large bowl; brush with oil mixture. Grill corn, turning, until pale golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.

When corn is almost finished cooking, place lobster tails on grill, cut side down, and cook until meat is lightly charred, about 1 minute. Turn tail, and brush meat with some chili butter. Place lobster claws on grill, and cook, turning every minute, until charred. Meanwhile, cook lemons on grill, cut sides down, 1 to 2 minutes. Cook until tail meat is opaque throughout and begins to pull away from shell, 4 to 5 minutes.

Serving: Transfer corn, lobster and grilled lemons to a large bowl. Drizzle with remaining chili butter, and sprinkle with chives; toss to combine. Arrange corn and lobster on a platter; serve with tomatoes and lime wedges, and garnish with cilantro leaves.