All-star tailgates: big on flavor - and tradition - recipes - includes related article on college football - Tailgate Traditions

Sunset, Sept, 1993 by Christine Weber Hale, Bill Crosby, Peter Fish

Set bread on grill, cheese up; cover barbecue, open vents, and cook until cheese melts, 3 to 4 minutes (be careful not to scorch bottom of bread). Garnish with basil sprigs. Serves 6.

Per serving: 595 cal. (47 percent from fat); 24 g protein; 31 g fat (13 g sat.); 57 g carbo.; 911 mg sodium; 67 mg chol.

Husky tradition: fans and salmon arrive by water

Where else will a university's water taxi pick you up from your yacht and ferry you to the dock just outside the stadium? Taking a cue from the remarkable waterside setting of University of Washington's Husky Stadium in Seattle, we present a recipe for grilled salmon that comes to us from a UW alumni barbecue cookoff held at a recent Rose Bowl. We also share a pear salad which uses one of the state's favorite crops, and a hearty apple and pork stew that should satisfy football fans from schools on both sides of the Cascades.

UW Alumni Grilled Salmon

1/3 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup dry vermouth

1 boned salmon fillet with skin, about 2 1/2 pounds

1 small (about 1/4-lb.) onion, very thinly sliced

2 lemons, very thinly sliced and seeds removed

Cucumber sauce (recipe follows)

Salt and pepper

Pour lemon juice and vermouth into a 1-gallon-size plastic food bag. Add salmon, onion, and lemon slices to bag; seal. Rotate bag to mix well. Chill at least 20 minutes or up to 1 day.

Mound 24 charcoal briquets on firegrate of a barbecue with a lid. Ignite coals.

Drain and discard marinade from bag. Set salmon, skin side down, on a slightly larger piece of heavy foil; fold or trim foil to fit outline of fish. Lay onion and lemon slices on top of fish.

When coals are dotted with ash, in about 25 minutes, push half of them to each side of the firegrate. Set grill 4 to 6 inches above coals. Set salmon with foil in center of grill (not over coals).

Cover barbecue and open vents. Cook until the thickest part of salmon is opaque but still moist-looking (cut to test), 25 to 30 minutes. Supporting with foil and spatulas, transfer salmon to a large platter. Serve hot or cool. If making ahead, cool, cover, and chill up to 1 day. To transport cold salmon, wrap airtight and keep it cold in an insulated container. Accompany with cucumber sauce; add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 8.--Delaware Valley Chapter, University of Washington Alumni Group

Per serving: 207 cal. (38 percent from fat); 27 g protein; 8.7 g fat (1.3 g sat.); 4.4 g carbo.; 62 mg sodium; 74 mg chol.

Cucumber sauce. Peel, seed, and finely chop 1 large (about 1/2-lb.) cucumber. Mix cucumber with 1 cup light (reduced-calorie) or regular sour cream and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill. If making ahead, cover airtight and chill up to 1 day. Transport sauce in an insulated bag. Makes 2 cups.

Per tablespoon: 13 cal. (69 percent from fat); 0.5 g protein; 1 g fat (0.5 g sat.); 0.7 g carbo.; 0.4 mg sodium; 2.5 mg chol.

Washington Pear Salad

1/3 cup hazelnuts

1/2 cup balsamic or red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons honey

3 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger

8 small or 4 large (about 2 lb. total) firm-ripe Bartlett pears