Summer is in full swing. Farmer’s markets in the Chicagoland area are transitioning from spring greens into the peak of summer. You can find an incredible variety of vegetables that simply taste better than their grocery store counterparts.
Coming into peak season now in farmer’s markets and backyard urban gardens are tomatoes, green beans, zucchini and yellow squash, eggplant, bell peppers, and plenty of herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme and rosemary. It’s an opportune time of the year to take advantage of the summer vegetable bounty and apply some simple techniques to bring your grill game to the next level.
Often we are planning our meals around a protein, a “main course” an “entrée”, something that is “center of the plate.” This time of year, I look forward to planning my dinners around grilled vegetables. The “mains” become secondary to the plentiful, colorful, and charred grilled veggies. Once you grasp the techniques for perfectly grilled vegetables, you will find that they can pair with just about any “center of the plate" item.
Simplicity is key and I find myself pairing my veggies with a simple spatchcock chicken, pan-fried trout, grilled skirt steak, roasted pork tenderloin, or seared tofu. Whatever the “sideshow” may be, if you follow some of these simple tip and techniques, your summer grilling may just be much more memorable for the veggies than for the rest of the meal.
Before you get grilling, here’s a few tips to get you started.
- Grill temperature – Whether you are using a charcoal grill or a gas grill, one of the most important factors that will help you grill amazing vegetables is the temperature of your grill. My suggestion is to get your grill as hot as you can get it. This will ensure proper caramelization and charring of the vegetables.
- Properly season your grill – by seasoning the grill, you are taking the best care of it and creating optimal conditions to cook your veggies properly. Seasoning your grill involves getting the grill activated and hot.
Take a grill brush and brush all the grates thoroughly. This will keep your grill grates clean and happy. In addition, you need to use an oily rag with tongs to brush up and down all the grill grates while hot. This will help to seal up any microscopic fissures in the grill grates making them virtually non-stick.
- Selecting and Paring Your Vegetables – Paring “like” vegetables when you grill will help you maintain consistent and proper cooking. Zucchini, yellow squash and eggplant – I try and sort these three veggies together when grilling. They are all around the same shape, density and texture. They can be cut in a similar fashion and grilled for about the same amount of time. I make sure to cut all my vegetables with some intention always thinking about the desired outcome. Zucchini and squash being a delicate gourd and eggplant being a delicate nightshade, I know that they will cook quickly. I want to cut these vegetables thick enough that they don’t overcook, yet I want to ensure enough time on the grill to get some good caramelization and char. I recommend that these veggies are cut close to a half inch. Peppers and onions are another pair that can be cooked similarly. Leafy, hearty greens such as Belgian endive, Treviso, or frisee can also be paired.
- Seasoning your vegetables – Place the vegetables in a large bowl once cut to desired thickness. Drizzle with a neutral cooking oil – just enough to coat them. Toss the vegetables in the oil and season with salt and pepper. They are not ready for the grill!
- Placement of your vegetables on the grill – Not only do I want to char and cook my vegetables, but when possible, I want to mark them for an added eye appeal. Place the veggies on the grill at a 45° angle to the grill grates. Once there are some good grill marks on the grill, rotate the veggie on the same side 90° to create hash marks. Once there are some good hashmarks on the veggies, flip them to get just a little heat on the bottom side. This shouldn’t take any more than about 30 seconds. Once cooked, place the veggies on a rack if possible to cool down to room temperature.
- Plating Grilled Vegetables – Once again, we want to exercise a bit of intention when we plate our veggies. I like to use my zucchini, squash and eggplant as sort of a base for my platter. I will shingle these items back and forth across one side of a platter to create a foundation for some of the other veggies. Peppers and onions can be another shingled section of your platter. Asparagus, green beans, radicchio, mushrooms can be placed on a platter gently and thoughtfully to create an eye appealing dish.
- Finishing Vegetable Platters – Once plated, there are many options for you to get creative and enhance your already amazing veggies. A balsamic glaze is a wonderful acidic addition. Fresh cherry tomatoes from the garden can be sliced in half and will add a bright, fresh look to the platter. Fresh herbs can be chopped and sprinkled on the veggies.
Below is a recipe for a delicious Charred Scallion Chimichurri you can use to enhance your veggie platters.
Charred Scallion Chimichurri
Yields: 2 cups or 12 portions
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
2 bunches scallion
1 oz. neutral oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 bunch parsley, stems removed
1 bunch cilantro, stems removed
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon red chili flake
Salt and pepper to taste
1. In a large bowl, place the scallions along with the neutral oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss the scallions so they are coated well with the oil.
2. Place on the scallions on a prepped, hot grill to char. Let char on one side before turning over and charring the other side. Be sure to get some good char marks on the scallions. Pull off the grill and cool to room temperature.
3. Chop the scallions roughly and add to a blender along with the garlic, parsley, and cilantro. Begin to blend on a low to medium speed.
4. Slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream.
5. Add the fish sauce, lemon juice and chili flake and process until the entirety is a smooth puree.
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Come join one of our grilling classes to learn about different techniques, setting up a grill, and proper execution of veggies and more. Two that I'm especially looking forward to are Hands-on Peruvian Grilling Class on August 15 and Hands-on Fire and Fungi, Grilled Mushroom Feast on August 22.
