Gluten Free Grilling

Spring's warm days beg for afternoons spent outside lounging on a park blanket, admiring flowers freshly in bloom and sipping on a chilled glass of wine. Toss in a grill, some sausages, and if it's a special birthday fete in the park, a few dozen oysters, and you've got a gluten free party going on.

As the days get longer and the charcoal gets hotter, it's time for the gluten free to get creative. Barbecues often feature hamburgers and hot dogs wrapped in gluten-y buns. Eating a hamburger on its own is always an option, but breadcrumbs could be the secret ingredient binding the meat together. Anyone who has tried knows that a stand alone hot dog can be hard to stomach and less than satisfying. My go-to grill solution is always a pack of sausages, which can be eaten quite successfully with a knife and fork and a dollop of mustard. Check the packaging to be sure there's no gluten (I've seen some brands that aren't gluten free). Added bonus: if you pick up your sausages from Prather Ranch in San Francisco's Ferry Building, you become something of a barbecue hero, which is defined by the Prather Ranch guy as the person who brings the best, most delicious gourmet food to a barbecue. As if your sparkling wine didn't give you that title already.