90 degree days. Finally. I know I’m probably one of maybe 5 people that you’ll find celebrating this late August heat wave. But after 2 months of weird, off-and-on rain showers and unseasonably low temperatures that have confused my tomato plants to no end, this heat is welcome.

It means more time to be outdoors, more time to develop my tan, and more time to grill cabbage like this.

This has been our summer food. I mean – if our summer had a theme song, it would be a ballad about this grilled cabbage. It goes great with our favorite bean salad and I plan on making it [oven-style] on New Year’s Day with cornbread, you know, for good luck and all.

Almost every time we’ve had a sunny day, Clark has been at the grill with a head of cabbage. As for me, I’m usually tending to my sorry tomatoes or burning my tongue, sneaking bites of the cabbage before it’s done.

I don’t know why I can’t be more patient and let the cabbage finish cooking. As it grills, the soy sauce reduces and caramelizes, making some of the cabbage sticky and some of it crispy. Even people who think they don’t like cabbage like this cabbage.

There’s something about grilling that makes everything taste a million times better, and I think it’s magical.

Sometimes we’ll eat this, and only this, as our dinner. Sometimes we’ll grill it alongside corn, squash, and onions. More than once, we’ve made it for impromptu family gatherings. Another time, we took a head of cabbage along on a camping trip and made it as a dinner side for everyone. And no complaints were heard.

You’ll love this dish because it’s light, inexpensive, and so flavorful. It’s great for large gatherings because you can prepare several heads of cabbage at once and cook it in large foil pans on the grill. Minimal prep, minimal cooking, and minimal cleanup. And just like that, you’re back out on the patio enjoying good weather and good company.

Like I said, grilled cabbage is summer defined.