After a long day of bicycling, there is nothing better to come home to than a shower, cold beer, and great grilled food. Start the charcoal in your grill with a chimney charcoal starter. Lighter fluid smells and tastes bad and can be dangerous. Hop in the shower, pour a cold beer and your are ready to start cooking.

Cut the top 1/4 off several heads of garlic. Place them in a foil pan and add olive oil until it is 1/3 the way up each head of garlic. Season with salt and pepper and set them on the grill. Grill, covered, until the garlic is soft and falling apart. At that point it has all the flavor of garlic but additional sweetness and none of the garlic bite.

Roasted garlic on the grill

While the garlic is cooking, wash a bunch of new potatoes, slice them in half, and toss with smashed garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Place them on the grill, cut side down. Grill them, covered, until they are soft and slightly blackened. When you remove them, toss with a bit more salt and pepper.

Roasted new potatoes off the grill

If you have any sausages now is the time to put them on the grill. Cook them until they are done and remove to a serving platter.

Now is the time to grill the Cohog clams. Wash the outsides of the clams and put them directly on the grill. Leave them uncovered and they will open in about 5 minutes. When they open, remove and pile into a serving bowl.

Cooking Cohog clams on the grill

Squeeze the roasted garlic out of each clove into a small serving dish. This is great for both the clams and especially the roasted potatoes. Melt some butter for the clams, and serve some whole grain mustard for the sausages. Make sure there is plenty of cold beer to go around.

Summer table with roast new potatoes, grilled Cohog clams, and grilled sausages.