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By Becky Krystal

Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops With Grilled Peaches and Napa Cabbage. (Tom McCorkle/For The Washington Post; food styling by Gina Nistico)

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Good morning, everyone. It’s been quite a week around D.C., with oppressive heat and skies dimmed by wildfire smoke. I’m looking forward to a respite from both soon, I hope, especially since they tend to preclude the kind of activities that many of us enjoy this time of year — days by the pool, afternoons at the ballpark and evenings standing around the grill.

When and if you’re ready to fire up the grill, perhaps you’ll be game for trying something other than the typical hot dogs, burgers or barbecue chicken. Good as they are, those classics only represent the tip of the iceberg when it comes to foods that benefit from a stint over an open flame. Ellie Krieger knows that, which is why she offered up this week’s featured recipe, Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops With Grilled Peaches and Napa Cabbage. The chops are coated with a mix of apricot jam, miso, ginger and crushed red pepper flakes, turning them into a sweet, spiced and sticky delight that will give barbecue chicken a run for its money.

But what I love about this dish is it’s not all about the protein. The revelation might be the wedges of napa cabbage that get delightfully charred while maintaining their pleasant bite. And if you’ve never grilled fruit, consider this my endorsement. The grill not only gets you those attractive char marks, but it also caramelizes the sugars, adding new dimension to some of summer’s best produce. Here, Ellie focuses on peaches, though nectarines, plums and pineapple all take well to the grill — or grill pan — too. (And while the cyclosporiasis outbreak seems to be centering more and more around lettuce, if you’re worried about the parasitic illness, grilling is a great way to cook produce to drastically reduce the risk.) Below you’ll find a few more tips and recipes for grilling fruits and vegetables.

As always, I’m looking forward to answering your cooking questions in my live weekly chat Thursday at 11 a.m. Eastern. Send them along now, and be sure to come back when we start the conversation.

Until next week, happy cooking.

Grilled Stone Fruit With Yogurt, Honey-Balsamic Drizzle and Thyme

(Tom McCorkle for The Washington Post/Food styling by Gina Nistico for The Washington Post)

This stunning dessert takes the staple duo of fruit and yogurt to new heights with a few simple flourishes.

Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops With Grilled Peaches and Napa Cabbage

Grilled Peaches With Mascarpone Whipped Cream

Grilled Fruit Sundaes With Strawberry Sauce

Grilled Cabbage

Recipe of the week

(Tom McCorkle/For The Washington Post; food styling by Gina Nistico)

Apricot-Glazed Pork Chops With Grilled Peaches and Napa Cabbage

Find substitution suggestions and other tips below the recipe.

Save or print the recipe

Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Servings: 4

Total time: 30 mins

Ingredients

1/3 cup (3 1/4 ounces) apricot jam
3 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar, divided
1 1/2 tablespoons shiro (white) miso
1 1/2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
3 1/2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or avocado, divided, plus more as needed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Four (6-ounce) bone-in pork chops, about 1/2-inch thick
1 head napa cabbage (2 1/2 pounds)
4 ripe peaches, halved and pitted
2 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)

Steps

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the jam, 1 1/2 tablespoons of the vinegar, the miso and ginger until well combined.

2. Transfer 3 tablespoons of the jam mixture to another small bowl, and whisk in 1 1/2 tablespoons of the oil and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of vinegar. This is the dressing for drizzling over the finished dish.

3. To the remaining jam mixture in the first bowl, whisk in the crushed red pepper flakes, if using, and the salt to combine. Spread this mixture generously over both sides of the chops and set them aside while you preheat the grill or grill pan.

4. Heat a grill pan over medium heat, or prepare the grill for direct heat. If using a pan, when it’s hot, brush it with a little oil. If using a gas grill, set it to 450 degrees. If using a charcoal grill, fill a chimney starter with charcoal, light it, and when the coals are white-gray with ash, pour them onto the charcoal grate, adding more charcoal, if necessary. Put the lid on the grill, making sure the vents are fully open. When all of the coals are gray and hot, about 15 minutes, your grill should be at medium heat. (Use a grill thermometer, or test the heat by holding your hand, palm down, about 4 inches from the grate, making sure that nothing flammable, such as clothing, is near the heat. If you can hold it there for about 4 seconds, the heat should be at medium, or about 450 degrees. Pull your hand away from the heat before it gets painful.) Make sure the cooking grates are clean, then use tongs to dip a folded paper towel in oil and lightly apply a thin layer all over the grill grates.

5. While the grill pan or grill is preheating, remove any loose outer leaves from the cabbage and reserve for another use. Quarter the cabbage lengthwise, keeping the core intact. (It will help keep the wedges together.)

6. Brush the cut sides of the cabbage and peaches with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Working in batches, as needed, to prevent overcrowding, cook the cabbage wedges on the grill or grill pan, one of the cut sides down, until slightly wilted and grill marks form, about 2 minutes, then flip and cook on the other cut side for about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a serving plate. Grill the peaches, cut side down, until slightly softened and grill marks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to the platter with the cabbage.

7. Place the pork chops on the grill or grill pan, and cook until grill marks form and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the meat reads 145 degrees, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the pork chops to the serving platter. Drizzle the cabbage and pork chops with the reserved dressing, sprinkle the scallions on top of everything, and serve.

From cookbook author and registered dietitian nutritionist Ellie Krieger. Tested by Olga Massov.

Nutrition information per serving (1 pork chop, 1 cabbage wedge and 2 peach halves): Calories: 490; Total Fat: 24 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Cholesterol: 83 mg; Sodium: 469 mg; Carbohydrates: 42 g; Dietary Fiber: 7 g; Sugar: 27 g; Protein: 31 g.

Substitution suggestions + other tips and ideas:

Apricot jam >> peach jam or orange marmalade.
Rice vinegar >> apple cider vinegar.
Shiro (white) miso >> aka (red) miso, though the color and flavor will be slightly different.
Bone-in pork chops >> boneless, skinless chicken breast pounded to 1/2-inch thick.
Napa cabbage >> 2 hearts romaine lettuce, halved lengthwise.
Peaches >> nectarines or apricots.
To make this gluten-free >> use a gluten-free miso.