Of all the foods we grill on perfect summer days, vegetables rank among the most exciting. Perhaps it’s because the grill so thoroughly transforms everything from bland eggplant to plain-old potatoes and squash into new, richly flavored, smoky treats. Suddenly, they morph from boring must-eat sides to interesting creations.
Our family tip: Cook plenty. We always eat more grilled veggies than we ever do of the steamed or boiled counterpart. Plus, any leftover grilled vegetables happily metamorphose into yet another treat for the next day’s meals. Grilled potatoes liven up potato salad as does grilled asparagus in a batch of scrambled eggs. I tuck slabs of grilled green and yellow summer squash along with tomato slices inside a pita for a terrific, unusual weekday sandwich.
Two secrets come to mind for successful veggie grilling: Keep ’em moist; season highly. Since grills offer dry heat, a light coating of oil seals in moisture when grilling cut vegetables. Alternatively, I trap moisture by wrapping firm veggies such as potatoes, beets, turnips and carrots in foil. Season sliced oiled vegetables with rubs, herbs and salt before grilling so the flavors penetrate. Likewise, season vegetables cooked in foil packets.
Sweet potatoes in the heat of summer may surprise you. We thickly slice and then sprinkle ours with a “barbecue” seasoning. A medium grill will soften the hard potatoes and char their natural sugars beautifully. My family sneaks them right off the grill. They think I don’t know. Instead, I cook double the quantity so we have a great accompaniment to grilled steak, pork chops and ribs. I hide leftover grilled sweet potatoes to turn into a meatless main course later in the week.