A simple menu is good grill practice

Grilled asparagus can be prepared ahead of time to add to an arugula salad (above). (Food styling/Tony Rosenfeld; Photo by Wiqan Ang for The Boston Globe)

Even if you cook all the time, when you head out to the backyard each spring, it always takes a little while to get your grill mojo back. Tong rust is inevitable. Gently shake it off by starting with a simple seasonal menu.

Be bold. It isn't necessary to revert to easy favorites like hamburgers or hot dogs to regain your confidence. Rack of lamb is a dressy cut - you see it on fine restaurant menus - but it's also easy enough to cook and just the thing for your reintroduction to outdoor cooking. Surround this centerpiece with some of the new harvest of local vegetables - spring onions, asparagus, and arugula - and call up a few friends who might appreciate your efforts.

Before lighting up the grill for this menu, there are two rules worth remembering: grill ahead and grill a little scared. That last instruction sounds like the most uninspired advice. The trick to grilling is getting used to working over a breathing fire (particularly if you're a charcoal fan). So anxiety is a predictable, if not positive, force. It breeds vigilance, and that's the difference between simmering a stew and grilling a steak.

Also, stay close to the grill (chat with the neighbors another time) and build a two-zone fire with hot and cool areas. This tiered system lets you play to the flames and avoid charring because you can move items when they get too hot. Two-step cooking works particularly well with a cut like rack of lamb, whose fat can cause flare-ups; the meat needs more moderate heat to finish cooking.

The other grill tenet is to get ahead on your preparations, a good idea for most circumstances. Many ingredients, particularly vegetables, do just fine cooked in advance and served at room temperature. Grill them an hour or two before your guests arrive (or even the day before if time is tight) and let them sit at room temperature or in the refrigerator while you finish your other work.

Now you're ready to take on this menu and its celebration of fresh flavors. Start the meal with a salad of light produce. Follow the grill-ahead tack and sear asparagus and spring onions (sweeter and more delicate than their cold-weather counterparts) over a hot fire. Then slice them and toss with arugula and a simple balsamic vinaigrette. Spread a couple of crostini (also grilled ahead) with herb goat cheese, perch them on the sides of the greens, and you've got a refreshing opening to the meal.

The lamb in the center of this menu calls on old friend mint as its supporting actor. Mix some of the chopped leaves with fresh thyme, garlic, and Dijon mustard, then rub them over the lamb to marinate the meat, preferably one day in advance. Sear the lamb over the hot zone of the fire, then transfer it to the cooler area, cover with a mint and walnut pesto, and let it gently coast to medium-rare doneness. The green coating almost melts on the warm lamb, basting the meat with its bright flavors.

To accompany the meat, you need something with enough gusto to hold its own, like spiced couscous. When you're grilling the salad vegetables, cook some onions and bell peppers at the same time. When they're done, sprinkle them with cumin and cinnamon, and then steam them with the couscous. The spices of this side dish cut through the slight gaminess of the lamb and will hold just fine for an hour or two at room temperature.

For dessert, you're on your own. Either fresh berries, ice cream, or some nice cookies (or all three) are a fitting way to cap off the menu. All evenings spent with friends over a fine meal give the cook a sense of contentment. But don't forget your achievement: rekindling your grilling prowess. Was it running scared that made the food so good?