Grill Your Vegetables to Perfection

Why not celebrate the warmer weather by firing up the grill? When summer vegetables like tomatoes, radishes, peppers, squash and zucchini are in season grilling them makes for a refreshing and tasty meat substitute, side dish or salad. Here are a few tips for grilling your veggies to perfection:

• Cut them down: Slice whatever veggie you are grilling into workable pieces—you want to aim for a size that is small enough to cook quickly, but big enough to keep from falling apart while cooking. For example: slice tomatoes in half, slice eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash into 1/4-inch thick slices or rounds, and cut bell peppers into thick strips

• Season: Lightly toss your desired summer vegetables in olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper for a bit of added flavor.
  
• If you are in a rush: If you chose veggies that take awhile to cook, boil them before grilling. You will save time and still get that desired charred taste!
  
• Flip once:  Place your vegetables directly on the grill, over medium heat. Cook, flipping once, until tender and those gorgeous grill marks appear, roughly 4-10 minutes, depending on the vegetable. (Remember: the “sturdier” the vegetable the longer it takes to cook.)
  
• Use skewers: Use skewers for a creative presentation and easier grilling! They are especially helpful with smaller vegetables, like tomatoes, as they prevent anything from falling through the cracks of the grill.

Try serving your grilled-to-perfection summer vegetables with grilled fish or chicken. Or, toss them all together in light vinaigrette with avocado and serve over arugula.

Grilled vegetables also help make an excellent next-day lunch or dinner. Try the recipe below for inspiration on how to use up your extra summer vegetables!