On Mom’s holiday, we picnicked in a field of wildflowers at Myakka River State Park.
On Dad’s day June 20, we’ll fire up the grill in the park.
She said: Pâte, please.
He prefers barbecued brisket with a side of steak.
So Father’s Day will involve turning up the heat on our grill for his protein of choice, corn on the cob, roasted potatoes, seared asparagus and, to finish, s’mores.
And we’ll do our best to green the cookout.
My dad is not what I would call a tree-hugger but he sends money to the World Wildlife Fund and Sierra Club.
He grew up on a small farm in western Illinois, where he learned to appreciate what nature can provide and to love his land.
There was a charcoal grill outside the farmhouse where he grew up and where I visited as a kid during school breaks. Some nights, we roasted hot dogs and toasted marshmallows over the charcoal flames.
In the backyard of my childhood home, we had a gas grill big enough to cook hot dogs for the high school football team that my dad coached. In the pre-season, after morning practice, the players and coaches gathered in the back yard for lunch — chips, dogs, salads, fruit and soda pop.
Two grills lasted my entire childhood but my parents are on their fourth grill in 15 years after buying their condo on the Gulf coast.
On Father’s Day, we’ll be at my portable, propane-fueled camping grill because we’re heading to a bayfront park.
I prefer propane to charcoal because it burns cleaner and more efficiently.
One study from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory concluded that a burner on a gas grill emits about 5.6 pounds of carbon dioxide per hour contrasted with 11 pounds per hour from cooking over charcoal.
An argument could be made for using all-natural, lump charcoal, which lacks additives and, made from wood, is a renewable energy source.
But the easy-to-use instant briquettes release volatile organic compounds and particulate matter into the air, as well as ground-level ozone. They’re made of sawdust, starch, borax, petroleum solvents and sodium nitrate. They’re no-nos.
So we’ll get cooking with propane, as well as reduce waste by ditching disposables in favor of reusable cutlery, plates and glassware and buy in season.
Does anyone know where to find locally sourced marshmallows?