Grilling What You Grow
It’s been a tough spring here in the Northeast, so many of us are way behind with our summer entertaining preparations. Tidying up the outdoor space and planting the vegetable garden while wearing a winter coat is just no fun. Time marches on, though, and, whether we’re ready or not, we find ourselves well on our way to summer, which means growing and grilling season is upon us. So, if that grill is not cleaned, shined and ready, if those tomato plants need a little boost of fertilizer, it’s time to get to it. We’ve got some grilling to do in the next few months, and we’ve got some new ideas, too.
Because I’ve doubled the size of my vegetable garden this year, I’ve been busy researching lots of new ways to use what I grow. That research has produced some new and delicious ideas for grilling some not-so-traditional grilled foods, some picked right from the summer garden, others from the farm stand down the road. I’ve even gathered some grilled fruit signature drink recipes to make our barbecues extra fun, so let’s get started making this our most fun, healthy and delicious grilling season ever.
Tomatoes, kale, romaine, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, corn, avocados, peaches and even plums just burst with flavor when grilled – it’s just some kind of smoky, roasted magic. To help you create the magic, here are some things I have gleaned from my research and practice.
Tips for Grilling Fruits:
*Hard fruits like apples and pears are easier to grill than softer fruits like peaches, nectarines and plums. Softer fruits require more attention to prevent overcooking.
*Tender fruits do well with indirect heat.
*Cut fruit pieces large enough so they don’t fall through the grates.
*Brushing fruits with butter will help keep them from sticking and enhance the flavor.
Tips for Grilling Veggies:
*Vegetables should be grilled over a medium heat. They should have browned grill marks and be tender when pierced with a fork.
*Prevent vegetables from drying out on the grill by soaking them in cold water before cooking.
*Cut vegetables into uniform size pieces so they will cook evenly. The larger and thicker the pieces, the longer the grilling time.
*Using a grill basket prevents small chunks of vegetables from falling through the grate.
*Brush dry vegetables with oil before grilling to keep them from sticking to the grate or try spraying the grates with nonstick spray.
*Seasoning the vegetables with sea salt or kosher salt before grilling will intensify the flavor.
Now for the fun part: Let’s put some of these things together and create some delicious grilled salads. Most are so flavorful that they can go dressed or undressed. Just remember, timing is everything when grilling fruits and veggies. The key is to pay special attention to the timing in the directions – romaine grills quickly, onion and peppers take a little longer than avocado and so on, but relax because these salads are not served hot, so you won’t feel hurried. Here is one recipe I particularly like and a good one to begin with:
Grilled Romaine and Pepper Salad
Serves two as a meal, three as a side salad
Ingredients:
2 romaine heads
2 bell peppers, any color, or combine colors
1 half of a red onion cut in quarters
1 pint of grape or cherry tomatoes
1-2 avocados
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Directions:
Preheat grill to high. Prepare vegetables, wash and cut the romaine heads in half, lengthwise, keeping the core on so they stay together. Wash and cut peppers in half, removing the stem and insides. Cut onion in quarters. Wash tomatoes and cut in half. Cut avocados in half, remove pit, and remove from the skin but don’t cut.
With the grill on high, place romaine halves cut side down on the grill for a couple of minutes just until they have nice grill marks and remove from the grill and let cool. Turn heat to medium high and place peppers and onions on the grill cut side down. Grilling the vegetables will be quick, so watch them.
Once peppers start to soften and get a little charred, flip them for a couple of minutes. Add avocados cut side down and tomatoes, placing the tomatoes along one of the cross bars so they don’t fall through. The avocados will grill fairly quickly, so just leave them on there long enough to warm up and get grill marks, then flip them. Remove peppers once skins have bubbled and at that time the onions and tomatoes will be done as well.
When peppers, onions, and avocado have cooled to the touch, slice the peppers and avocado into strips and slice the onion into slices. To plate the salad, top romaine halves with pepper slices, onion slices, tomatoes and avocado. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you really must, use a balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Enjoy!
Grilled Peach/Thyme Bourbon Cocktail
Finally, I promised you a grill-inspired signature drink. Juicy peaches slightly grilled with bourbon and ginger ale should do it. The smoky peach flavor with the bourbony goodness makes this a winner. Use ripe but not too soft peaches so they don’t fall apart on the grill. This recipe makes four servings.
Ingredients:
2 ripe yellow peaches
2 tablespoons sugar
6 sprigs of thyme leaves, plus more sprigs for garnish
Ginger Ale
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
6 ounces bourbon
Directions:
Quarter peaches and grill until charred. Muddle sugar, thyme leaves and lime juice in a cocktail shaker. Add bourbon and a couple splashes of ginger ale for each of the four drinks, and divide among four ice-filled glasses. Garnish with peach section and thyme sprigs.
Grilled Kale and Plum Salad with Ricotta
This final grilled salad uses one of my all-time favorite ingredients to complement the fruits and veggies – ricotta cheese. Its creamy mild flavor complements the charred flavor of the kale beautifully and sets us up for the sweetness of the grilled plums. This recipe makes four to six servings.
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon honey
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
4 medium plums, halved, pitted, thinly sliced
12 large curly kale leaves
¾ cup fresh ricotta
Directions:
Whisk three tablespoons of oil with vinegar, thyme and honey in a medium bowl. Season vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper. Add plums and toss to coat; transfer plums to a plate.
Heat grill to high. Brush kale leaves with remaining one tablespoon of oil; season with salt. Grill kale, turning once, until crispy and charred at edges, about 2 minutes. Let cool and remove leaves from stems.
Divide ricotta among plates; season with salt and pepper. Stir vinaigrette again. Tear larger kale leaves into pieces. Place leaves in a large bowl and toss with some of the vinaigrette. Divide among plates. Top with plums and drizzle some vinaigrette over.
Grilled Zucchini, Tomato, Corn Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
This second recipe is a real Jersey favorite. If this year is a good one for corn, you’ll make this at least weekly. Grilling corn really does make it almost as good as dessert! (Even when you’re not making this salad, use the corn-in-husk method for enjoying it on the cob.) This salad recipe does include a dressing, and it’s fabulous – if you like cilantro. I’ll be making this one plenty in August when the corn is sweet, my cilantro is plentiful, and I’m swimming in tomatoes and zucchini.
Salad Ingredients:
4 medium zucchini or summer squash or both
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2 ears corn, unhusked
2 avocados
10 to 12 cherry or grape tomatoes
Dressing Ingredients:
½ cup packed cilantro leaves
¼ cup olive oil
Juice of half a lime
2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic
¼ teaspoon of chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat grill. Cut zucchini lengthwise into half-inch thick slices and brush both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Soak corn in its husk in large container of water for 10 minutes. Remove from water and shake off excess. Place zucchini slices, tomatoes and corn directly on grill. For zucchini, grill a few minutes on each side, until slices are tender and have grill marks. Remove and let cool. Heat tomatoes just until they begin to shrivel. For corn, grill 15-20 minutes, turning every few minutes to cook all sides, until husk is charred all over. Remove and let cool.
Chop cooled zucchini into half-inch pieces. Halve tomatoes. Husk corn and use a sharp knife to remove kernels from cob. Chop avocados into half-inch pieces. Mix vegetables in a medium bowl.
For the dressing, combine all ingredients in a blender and process until smooth and well combined. Pour dressing over vegetables and toss to combine. Refrigerate salad until chilled.
There you go. I hope this gets us all off to a good start. Once you get comfortable grilling fruits and veggies, the possibilities are endless. Take this inspiration along with you on your next trip to the farm market as you ponder, “What will I grill next?” Cheers to summer!
