When President Grover Cleveland declared Labor Day an official national holiday in 1894, he probably couldn’t have imagined that Americans would mark the occasion by firing up their barbecues. We celebrate the day that marks the end of summer with succulent meat and the tempting smoke in the background, and pork is often our favorite.

Easy to make and delicious, these grilled bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin medallions are just the thing for a Labor Day celebration. They’re delicious on their own, but when combined with a cannellini bean mixture, they become incredibly tasty.

Lone Ranger cocktails are refreshing and offer a perfect blend of sweet and tart flavors. Of course, there are also lemonade and sparkling water for the non-alcoholic options.

And for a dramatic red, white and blue finale, there’s a charlotte with mixed berries, whipped cream, jam and buttercream frosting. These are delicious ingredients strategically used in a yellow layer cake with ladyfingers.

Grilled pork fillet and bacon with steamed white beans

Not to be confused with pork loin, pork tenderloins are elongated, somewhat slender beauties with a reddish-pink hue. They are usually sold in side-by-side packs of two, each weighing about a pound.

Slicing the tenderloin crosswise into 1 1/2-inch-wide medallions makes the pork quick to grill and delicious when wrapped in bacon. Season the bundles with a mixture of toasted and ground fennel seeds, salt, and pepper.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 pork fillets, about 1 pound each

12 slices thinly sliced ​​bacon, about 3/4 pound

Wooden toothpicks

Beans

4 ripe Roma tomatoes, about 1 pound, seeded

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onions

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

2 cans (15 ounces each) cannellini beans, rinsed, drained

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup (packed) torn fresh basil leaves

Cook’s Notes: To remove the silverskin (thin, stringy, white layer) that is on one side of the fillet, slide a sharp, thin knife under the end of the silverskin (this acts as a sort of handle). Hold the loosened end piece with a small piece of kitchen towel and slide the knife away from you just below the silverskin. Continue cutting away from you with the knife blade angled slightly upward.

DIRECTIONS

1. In a small skillet over low heat, toast the fennel seeds until aromatic, 3 to 5 minutes, shaking the pan frequently. Grind the seeds in a spice grinder or place in a zip-top bag and smash with a heavy skillet to break up the seeds. In a small bowl, toss the seeds with salt and pepper.

2. Trim excess fat and silverskin from fillets (see Cooking Notes). Cut fillets crosswise into 1.5-inch pieces. Season with fennel mixture. Press lightly on cut side so each slice is the same thickness as a slice of bacon. Wrap a slice of bacon around each slice and secure with a toothpick. Bacon should not overlap more than 1 inch at the ends. Let stand at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes before grilling. Meanwhile, preheat grill to medium heat.

3. Prepare beans: Grill tomatoes over medium heat until skins start to fall off, 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally. When cool enough to handle, remove skins and cut tomatoes into 1-inch pieces. Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then cook onion, garlic, and pepper flakes until tender, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes and beans, stir to combine, and season with salt and pepper to taste. When beans begin to boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer gently for 12 to 15 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, grill pork over medium heat until pork is lightly pink in the center and bacon is fully cooked, 12 to 15 minutes, turning once. If flare-ups occur, temporarily move pork to a cooler part of the grill.

5. Add basil to the beans. Serve the pork with the beans.

Source: “Weber’s Real Grilling” by Jamie Purviance

Fresh Fruit Charlotte

I really enjoy baking with my 9-year-old granddaughter, Colette. She watches baking shows and is adept at using a piping bag and icing spatula. A recent project involved using both tools and I showed her how to make bridge cuts to halve fresh strawberries. This technique involves two fingers holding the berry upright on the cutting board, forming a safe, high arc away from the knife.

Our most recent project was making a charlotte, a classic French dessert with layered cakes, fillings, whipped cream and ladyfingers. We took a few shortcuts by using a cake mix and buying the ladyfingers online.

We used a recipe from Kneaders Bakery and Café by Colleen Worthington (Shadow Mountain Publishing). The recipe makes much more buttercream frosting than was needed for one Charlotte. Any leftover buttercream can be frozen airtight (for up to three months). When you’re ready to use it, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then bring it to room temperature, then re-whip it in an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

The bright red and blue fruits add a glamorous touch to this delicious charlotte for a Labor Day celebration.

Makes: 12 to 14 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 yellow cake mix plus ingredients indicated on the package

About 3/4 cup buttercream frosting; see cooking notes

Piping bag with a simple 3/8-inch tip

Whipped cream: 1 cup chilled whipping cream, 1/3 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup mixed berry jam or marmalade, such as Bonne Maman Mixed Berry Preserves

About 24 (4-1/4-inch long ladyfingers, such as Savoiardi brand

2 cups halved and stemmed strawberries

1 cup blueberries

1/2 cup blackberries

1/2 cup fresh raspberries

Cook’s Notes: For Buttercream Frosting, beat 2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook for 4 minutes on medium speed. Add 2 cups powdered sugar and beat on low speed until well combined. Add 2 more cups powdered sugar and beat on low speed until well combined. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons heavy cream. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. If you want the frosting thicker, add more powdered sugar. If you want it thinner, add more heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time. Leftover frosting can be frozen.

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare cake batter according to package directions for either two 8-inch cake pans or two 9-inch cake pans. Let cool for 10 minutes and invert onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.

2. Place a cake base on a cake plate. Prepare the buttercream frosting (see cooking instructions).

3. Prepare the whipped cream. Beat the chilled cream and powdered sugar with a stand mixer, initially on low speed and then increasing to high speed after adding the sugar. Beat until the mixture is stiff (do not overbeat). Place in the refrigerator.

4. Place about 3/4 cup buttercream into a piping bag. Pipe a border of buttercream around the edge of the cake. Fill the edge with a thick layer of jam. Place the second cake layer on top. Pipe a border of buttercream around the edge of the second layer. Spread a layer of jam on the edge of the buttercream.

5. Using an icing spatula, spread a generous amount of whipped cream over the sides of the cake. Place ladyfingers next to each other around the cake and hold them in place with the whipped cream. Place fruit on the cake.

Source: Adapted from “Kneaders Bakery and Café” by Colleen Worthington (Shadow Mountain Publishing)

Lone Ranger Cocktails

These cocktails are a delicious warm weather treat. The mix from step 1 can be prepared before guests arrive.

Makes: 2 cocktails

INGREDIENTS

3 ounces Blanco Tequila

1 ounce simple sugar syrup, see cooking notes

2 ounces fresh lemon juice

Ice

4 ounces rosé prosecco

Optional garnish: lemon slices

Cook’s Notes: It’s easy to make, but if you prefer, you can also buy simple sugar syrup at many stores. To make it, combine 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over high heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Allow to cool completely before using. Store in an airtight jar in the refrigerator.

DIRECTIONS

1. In a mixing jug or a glass measuring cup with a pouring spout, mix the tequila, sugar syrup and lemon juice.

2. Pour the mixture into 2 tall glasses. Add ice. Pour in the rosé prosecco. Add more ice if necessary. Garnish each glass with a slice of lemon if desired. Serve.