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Time was, Memorial Day marked the start of the grilling season — when men and meat met metal.

The times, they are a' changin'.

Sure, May is still National Barbecue Month, and for many, the upcoming holiday weekend will entail hauling the grill out of winter storage for its first flame of '08. But for an increasing number of home cooks, grilling has become a preferred method of cooking year-round, and consumer surveys show that overall, barbecue grilling has hit an all-time high, thanks in no small part to the proliferation and convenience of the gas grill.

And grilling isn't just for meat — or men — anymore. Vegetables and fruits are finding their way onto cooking grates with increasing regularity, and entire cookbooks are devoted to grilling nontraditional items that range from fruits to pizza. And not surprisingly, an increasing number of women are elbowing men out of the way to make sure the job gets done right.

We gathered some tips, facts, survey results and a tasty seasonal recipe to enhance your Memorial Day grilling experience.

Who grills and when? Barbecue trends

The percentage of households using a grill at least once every two weeks had reached 38 percent, up 6 percentage points in the past decade.

While summer still accounts for the most grilling activity — 49.3 percent of American households consume at least one grilled item in a two-week period during June, July and August — grilling has increased the most during colder seasons, with 26.5 percent of households grilling in the winter, up from 17.7 percent a decade earlier. Today, the majority (58 percent) of grill owners say they use their grills year-round.

Whether hosting a party or having a small get-together, more than three-fourths of consumers (76 percent) prefer to cook outside on the grill instead of inside on the stove during warmer months.

Men are slightly more likely to prefer grilling (83 percent to women's 68 percent), but more women are taking up the tongs, and there's even a Web site and company titled Girls at the Grill — www.girlsatthegrill.com — launched by Elizabeth Karmel, author of "Taming the Flame."

Eight out of 10 consumers (80 percent) who prefer to cook outside on the grill say they do because it's less messy than cooking inside.

Sources: the NBD Group Inc., a market research company; the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association

Want to keep it safe?

Here's how ...

Position your grill in open areas away from buildings and high-traffic areas.

Don't let kids or dogs run or play near the grill.

When lighting a gas grill, always keep the lid open.

When grilling, wear clothing that does not have hanging shirttails, frills or apron strings.

Trim the excess fat from meat to avoid flare-ups.

When using a charcoal grill, use only charcoal lighter fluid, and never use gasoline, and never squeeze lighter fluid on already-lit charcoal.

Use long-handled barbecue utensils to avoid burns and splatters.

Don't use marinades that have had raw meat or fish soaking in them as a baste while cooking or as a sauce for the cooked dish unless you boil first for at lease one minute. And don't put cooked food on the same platter that raw food was placed on.

Use a meat or "instant-read" thermometer to ensure meat is cooked thoroughly.

Sources: Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association's "Grill-amentals of Grilling: A Complete Consumer Guide to Year-Round Grilling," at www.hpba.org; and "Grill It!" by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby (DK Publishing, $25)

Want to grill like a pro?

Put these tips to good use

If you're new to a gas grill, keep the lid down as much as possible during cooking, and be aware that the food on a gas grill roasts as it broils from the burners, so food might cook faster than on a charcoal grill.

Use tongs or spatulas rather than a fork to turn meats to keep meats juicy.

Charcoal grillers should buy a chimney-style charcoal starter and use it. Sometimes it takes a second wadded-up page from the newspaper to get the charcoal started, but you will avoid the lighter-fluid residue in the food.

Avoid the charcoal that already has the lighter fluid soaked into the briquettes, and if you're stuck with that type, make sure all of the coals have a layer of white ash on them before cooking.

For a bit of smoky flavor on the gas grill, spring for a "smoker box" and fill with soaked wood chips. Put on the grill when you first light the fire, so the smoke will get going by the time you put the food on.

For charcoal grills, soaked chips can be sprinkled on and near the coals, or can be used in a smoker box. A makeshift smoker box of heavy-duty aluminum foil with holes poked in it can substitute.

Although there are many types of wood chips, the most common are hickory (great with pork) and mesquite (best with seafood). For beef, try a mix of the two.

For thicker cuts, experiment with indirect cooking — scooping all of the coals to one side of the grill and putting the food on the opposite side, or placing food on the gas grill above a burner that is on low while the other burner(s) are set on high. With indirect cooking, you increase the chance of cooking the thick cut to the desired level of doneness without charring the outside. And it helps to avoid flare-ups.

When flare-ups happen, whether on a gas or charcoal grill, move the food to another spot. Avoid using a spray water bottle on a charcoal grill, which sends ash airborne and onto the food. Don't use water to extinguish flare-ups on a gas grill.

If using barbecue sauce, apply it only in the final few minutes of cooking to avoid charring.

Take meat and seafood off the grill before the food reaches its desired doneness level, because the food will continue to cook after it's removed from the grill.

Let meats "rest" for five to 10 minutes or more, depending on thickness, before serving. The juices draw back into the center of the meat, making it juicier and more flavorful.

Source: My own trial and error, mostly.

One good spring grilling recipe? Look no further

SPRING ASPARAGUS AND NEW POTATO SALAD

Serves four to six

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

2 large garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

11/2 pounds new potatoes, halved or quartered if large

1 pound asparagus, trimmed

Salad greens such as mesclun mix

Coarsely grated Parmesan cheese, to taste

Prepare a medium fire on the grill, or turn gas grill burners to medium. In a large shallow dish, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Add the potatoes and asparagus and toss to coat.

Grill the potatoes, turning every 10 minutes or so, until golden, 20 to 30 minutes. Grill the asparagus until slightly limp and lightly grill-marked, 6 to 8 minutes.

Arrange the greens on individual salad plates. Top with the grilled asparagus and potatoes. Drizzle the remaining olive oil and lemon juice mixture on top. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve at once.

Variations

Cut a zucchini or yellow squash into halves (or quarters if large), brush with olive oil, salt and pepper, and grill for 4 to 6 minutes and add to the salad along with the asparagus. Or brighten the flavor by sprinkling the finished salads with chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley.

Adapted from "The New Vegetarian Grill," by Andrea Chesman (The New Harvard Press, $16.95)

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2258 or mfisher@DaytonDailyNews.com.

What's on the barbie?

Top 10 grilled foods:

1. Burgers

2. Steaks

3. Chicken

4. Hot dogs

5. Pork chops

6. Potatoes

7. Vegetables

8. Other pork cuts

9. Sausage

10. Seafood

Source: The NBD Group

> ;Do you clean your grill?

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