What sauce or topping would make a BBQ turkey seem summery?

We have nine foodies and a brined turkey on the Weber. I'm making traditional gravy, and thought of a grilled fruit salsa as one alternative, but what else could people put on their turkey that would be appropriate for summer? Serving fresh corn (could have made a corn salsa if we had more corn) and salad. I rubbed the turkey with a butter/red chile paste.

koreanist
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10 Comments

koreanist July 28, 2011
I love all of these suggestions -- many thanks. The foodies ate both the grilled peach, etc. salsa and Mrs. Wheelbarrow's sauce, but the winner was definitely Mrs. Wheelbarrow. (I think the fruit was too juicy for the grill -- turned mushy. Tasted mighty fine, but texture counts too.)
 
Suburbanitis July 28, 2011
You might even want to go for a slightly sweet slaw that uses shredded tart apple with crisp red cabbage. It would cool down the smoky red chile nicely, too.
 
brandon July 28, 2011
you could do a light dill and cucumber cream type sauce if you want something besides fruit. Its great for bbq's and you can use the extra as a sauce for potato salad
 
jeremy.enfinger July 28, 2011
It's not always easy to lighten bbq for summer, although I could eat it 3.6.5. I pickled a few red onions a few weeks ago and added a little lavender to my picking spice. This brought out the sugar from the onion in a bright summer freshness. Give that a whirl!!
 
ChefJune July 13, 2011
We like Maque Choux as a side with grilled and smoked food.http://www.food52.com/recipes/6300_maque_choux
and I'm mentally tasting a tomatillo salsa with that smoked bird. Could stir in some ripe mangos, too. ;)
 
koreanist July 10, 2011
Also good. It sounds similar to Mrs. Wheelbarrow's plum sauce which has vinegar in it -- that's the way I went for my second sauce. First is grilled mango/peach/plum salsa. Oh by the way, we're serving the turkey warm at about 7 pm Mountain time (in Santa Fe, NM), so you're not late...yet.
 
wcbixby July 10, 2011
Mango or peach chutney with a bit of heat to it seems appealing. If it was on the grill 3 hours ago (as your timestamp suggests) I might be able to get there in time for leftovers . . depending of course on where you are.
 
Emily H. July 10, 2011
Fruit is such a great pair to smoky, savory flavors. Mrs Wheelbarrow's plum sauce looks pretty stellar, and it's paired with pork so I think it would transition to smoked turkey. http://www.food52.com/recipes/308_plum_sauced_pork_tenderloin
 
shindig July 10, 2011
Here in Michigan, my family makes a sour (Montmorency) cherry bbq sauce with grilled or smoked turkey. Similar flavors to the blackberry bbq recipe mentioned; you might substitute the cherries for blackberries. If you'd like a little more sweetness, add 1/3 cup strawberry preserves.
 
Amanda H. July 10, 2011
This blackberry sauce was great with the meatloaf, and I think it's would go really well with brined and grilled turkey (especially if made with fresh blackberries). http://www.food52.com/recipes/3557_meatloaf_with_blackberry_barbecue_sauce
 
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