Continued, Food52 Any Night Grilling

Like its creator, my friend Susan Spicer, the chef of Bayona, Mondo, and Rosedale in New Orleans, this salad has plenty of personality. The heat of a grill (along with a creamy toasted garlic dressing) tempers the peppery bite of escarole and other bitter greens. Lightly charred sweet peppers add a burst of color and sweetness that balances the assertive flavors. The cool thing about grilling escarole and other sturdy chicories is that they wilt but still retain a satisfying texture. The result is a hearty knife-and-fork salad that makes a simple but surprising meal on its own, or a delicious sidekick to grilled lamb chops or eggplant. Serve leftovers the next day cold, as a smoky riff on horta (the Greek salad of boiled bitter greens).

½ cup (120ml) olive oil, plus more for coating

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

¼ to ½ cup (25 to 50g) grated Pecorino, plus more for serving

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 heads escarole, rinsed and dried

8 ounces (225g) sweet mini peppers

1. Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking and build a medium-high fire, or heat a gas grill to high. Carefully wipe the preheated grates with a lightly oiled paper towel. Using a grill brush, scrape the grill grates clean, then carefully wipe with a lightly oiled towel again. If you’re using a grill basket, allow it to preheat 10 minutes before cooking.

2. On the stove top, heat ½ cup (120ml) of the olive oil and the garlic in a small skillet over medium-low heat until the garlic is lightly tanned and starting to crisp, and then remove the skillet from the heat. Combine the lemon juice, vinegar, and Dijon in a blender and process for about 30 seconds, then slowly add the infused oil and garlic and process until silky and emulsified. Pour the dressing into a bowl, whisk in ¼ cup (25g) of Pecorino, and season with salt and black pepper. The dressing should start to thicken and be creamy and pleasantly tart-salty; if it’s too thin or tart, add additional oil and cheese as desired.

3. Trim the escarole as needed, removing tired leaves. Quarter the escarole heads lengthwise, keeping the stem intact to help the leaves hold together on the grill. Place in a large bowl, drizzle with enough olive oil to lightly coat, season with salt and black pepper, and use your hands to gently combine.

4. Grill the escarole over direct heat until lightly charred, 30 to 45 seconds on each side; set aside. Toss the peppers in the same bowl (adding additional oil, if necessary, to lightly coat them), season with salt and black pepper, and grill over direct heat until lightly charred, about 2 minutes on each side. Arrange the escarole and peppers on a large platter, drizzle with dressing, and top with additional Pecorino.

Lenoir, our friends Todd Duplechan and Jessica Maher’s restaurant in South Austin, is devoted to “hot-weather food”: spicy, citrusy, and acidic preparations that suit the weather in Texas and other steamy zones around the world. Todd’s version of this salad is more complicated, but I followed his lead to combine grilled chicories with a charred scallion dressing, crispy egg, and furikake-inspired bread crumbs (a riff on the Japanese seasoning made with dried fish, sesame seeds, and seaweed). When they’re in season, feel free to use Meyer lemons in the dressing; their sweetness plays well with the bitter greens—just be sure to adjust ingredients as necessary to compensate for their lower acidity.

Charred Scallion Dressing

1 cup (240ml) Greek yogurt

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1 clove garlic, finely grated

2 tablespoons freshly chopped dill

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 bunch scallions, trimmed

2 slices day-old bread

¼ cup (5g) crumbled nori

2 tablespoons sesame seeds (black or white)

1 teaspoon gochugaru (Korean red pepper), plus more as desired

6 to 8 ounces (170 to 225g) mixed chicories (such as Treviso, radicchio, frisée, and endive)

2 large eggs

Flaky salt

4 chives, cut into ½-inch (1.3cm) lengths

1. Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking and build a medium fire, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Carefully wipe the preheated grates with a lightly oiled paper towel. Using a grill brush, scrape the grill grates clean, then carefully wipe with a lightly oiled towel again.

2. To make the dressing, in a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, Dijon, honey, and garlic. Whisk in the dill and season with kosher salt and pepper. Thin the dressing with olive oil as needed for consistency.

3. Grill the bread over direct heat until grill marks appear on both sides, about a minute per side. Let cool, then crumble the bread slices into the bowl of a food processor. Add the nori, sesame seeds, gochugaru, and a pinch of kosher salt and pulse into coarse crumbs.

4. Trim the chicories as needed, removing tired leaves. Halve or quarter the chicory heads lengthwise, keeping the stem intact to help the leaves hold together on the grill. Place the chicories and scallions in a bowl, drizzle with enough olive oil to lightly coat, season with salt and pepper, and gently toss to combine. Grill over direct heat until lightly charred, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

5. Divide the chicories between 2 plates. Chop the charred scallions and stir them into the yogurt dressing. On the stove top, fry the eggs in olive oil over medium-high heat until the edges are browned and the yolk is partially set (do not flip); season with black pepper and flaky salt. Drizzle the chicories with the dressing, top with an egg, and sprinkle with flaky salt, the bread crumbs, and the chives.

Brassicas like brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage benefit from a high-heat char that transforms their rubbery, raw texture into something tender and toothsome, with a whiff of smoky sweetness. To maintain some crunch at the core, you’ll want to use a two-part cooking process: high heat for charring, followed by lower, indirect heat that allows the sturdy wedges to mostly cook through. The nutty sweetness and hardy structure of grilled cabbage pair perfectly with a wedge salad’s classic accompaniments: a crumbled blue cheese dressing, sweet cherry tomatoes, crumbled bacon, and chives.

2 small green cabbages

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (150ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup (60ml) cider vinegar or champagne vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

½ cup (70g) crumbled blue cheese (such as Roquefort)

1 cup (150g) yellow or orange cherry tomatoes (preferably Sweet 100s or another small variety), halved

5 to 6 ounces (140 to 170g) cooked smoked bacon, crumbled

6 to 8 radishes (any variety), thinly sliced

¼ cup (10g) chives, cut into ½-inch (1.3cm) lengths

1. Cut each cabbage lengthwise into 4 fat wedges, keeping the core intact to help it hold together on the grill. In a large bowl, drizzle the cabbages with enough olive oil to lightly coat, generously season with salt and pepper, and gently toss to combine.

2. Prepare a charcoal grill for two-zone cooking and build a medium-high fire, or heat a gas grill to high. Carefully wipe the preheated grates with a lightly oiled paper towel. Using a grill brush, scrape the grill grates clean, then carefully wipe with a lightly oiled towel again.

3. Grill the cabbage wedges over direct heat until charred on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes total. Transfer them to a cooler portion of the grill and cook until the interior has softened but still has a bit of crunch, 5 to 6 additional minutes. Use a paring knife or your fingers to test doneness. When the cabbages are cooked, transfer the wedges to a serving platter and let them cool briefly while you make the dressing.

4. In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, Dijon, honey, ½ teaspoon salt, and plenty of pepper. Whisk in the ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (150ml) olive oil until the mixture has emulsified. Stir in the blue cheese.

5. Drizzle the blue cheese dressing over the cabbage wedges and top with the cherry tomatoes, bacon, radishes, and chives.

Fresh radicchio is bright and bitter, but grilled radicchio is multilayered and complex. Just a few minutes on the grill give the lovely white-veined magenta chicory deep caramelized notes—a transformation that shifts it from a first-course salad to a full-on meal. Adding fruit and a luscious fresh cheese creates a delicious balance of bitter, sweet, creamy, and crunchy. You don’t want super-juicy pears here—they’ll break down on the grill—but flavor-wise, you don’t want them to be rock-hard either. Go with a firmer, fragrant variety that yields with some resistance to a sharp knife. I love to use mottled green heirloom pears that look like they were plucked from a Renaissance painting, but Red Bartlett, Bosc, or Concorde also work. You can stem and core the pears before grilling, but I prefer to leave them intact because it looks nicer and they hold up better on the grill. During the summer, swap out pears for peaches.

2 heads radicchio

2 pears (such as Bosc, Anjou, or any green speckled variety)

Olive oil, for drizzling

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 slices day-old bread, plus more for sopping up oil and cheese

2 marinated anchovies, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

About 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

6 ounces (170g) fresh burrata, drained and patted dry

2. Quarter the radicchio heads lengthwise, keeping the stem intact to help the leaves hold together on the grill, and quarter the pears lengthwise. Place the radicchio and pears in a large bowl, drizzle with enough olive oil to lightly coat, season generously with salt and pepper, and toss with your hands to evenly coat.

3. Grill the bread over direct heat until grill marks appear on both sides, about a minute per side. Let cool, then crumble the bread into a food processor. Add the anchovies, thyme, a pinch each of salt and pepper, and pulse into coarse crumbs.

4. Grill the pears over direct heat until grill marks appear on both cut sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove, then grill the radicchio until lightly charred on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes total. In a large bowl, gently toss the radicchio and pears with additional olive oil and the vinegar to coat lightly.

5. Arrange the radicchio and pears on a platter or divide among plates. Top with the bread crumbs and generous spoonfuls of burrata. Grind pepper over the top and serve.

The game plan here is firing a pretty mix of long, thin vegetables that cook in a flash to serve with a Spanish-style romesco— a red pepper sauce enriched with nuts and grilled bread. Feel free to change up the mix with young carrots, baby pattypan squash, sugar snap peas, or Chinese long beans, adjusting cooking times as needed. If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, chop the grilled vegetables and scramble them with eggs and a few spoonfuls of the smoky sauce.

2 bunches asparagus (about 2 pounds/900g)

1 pound (450g) green, purple, or yellow wax beans (preferably a combination)

1 thick slice country-style bread

2 large red bell peppers—halved, cored, and seeded

2 Fresno chiles

½ red onion, cut into thick wedges

⅓ cup (80ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 plum tomatoes, halved

¼ cup (35g) skinned roasted hazelnuts or almonds

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, plus more as desired

2 teaspoons freshly chopped thyme or marjoram leaves

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 clove garlic or 1 teaspoon Smoked Garlic (this page)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2. Snap fibrous ends from the asparagus (or if the asparagus is fat, peel the ends). Trim the stem ends from the wax beans.

3. Grill the bread over direct heat until grill marks appear on both sides, about a minute per side.

4. In a bowl, toss the bell peppers, Fresno chiles, and onion with enough olive oil to lightly coat. Place the vegetables perpendicular to the grates (or in a preheated grill basket) and grill over direct heat, turning and rotating as needed for even cooking, until lightly charred on all sides, about 5 minutes for the peppers and chiles and 6 to 7 minutes for the onion. Set aside the onion. Transfer the charred bell peppers and chiles to a bowl and cover with a kitchen towel (this will make their skins easier to remove). Grill the tomatoes over direct heat until charred on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. When they’re cool enough to handle, remove most of their skins and seeds. Gently remove the skins of the bell peppers. Stem the Fresno chiles.

5. Process the bell peppers, chiles, onion, and tomatoes along with the nuts, vinegar, thyme, smoked paprika, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt into a coarse puree. Cube the grilled bread, add to the mixture, and process until combined. Drizzle in the ⅓ cup (80ml) olive oil and process to make a thick puree. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and black pepper as desired.

6. Reheat the grill basket for 10 minutes before cooking, if using, and then grill the asparagus and wax beans until golden brown and lightly charred, about 6 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with romesco.

All too often, winter squash preparations fall to the heavy side and are too sweet for my tastes. But this vibrant combination, inspired by Joshua McFadden, chef at Ava Gene’s in Portland, is a beauty—a variety of winter squashes are grilled almost to the point of looking burnt, which creates tremendous complexity as the heat caramelizes their sugars. Another cool trick: Only one side is grilled, so each piece offers a mix of deep caramelization and the bright flavor of squash that’s just cooked through. Feel free to use whichever squash you love. A tumble of peppery arugula, mint, and a crisp apple keeps this salad feeling snappy.

1 bunch scallions

1 butternut squash

1 acorn squash

A few handfuls arugula (preferably not baby)

1 Honeycrisp apple, cored and thinly sliced

¼ cup (5g) fresh mint leaves

3 tablespoons toasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

1 to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Flaky salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2. While the grill heats, trim the scallions and slice them on the bias. Soak in ice water until very crisp, about 30 minutes, and then drain and dry on paper towels.

3. Halve the butternut squash lengthwise, quarter the acorn squash vertically, and scrape out the seeds (a grapefruit spoon works well for this).

4. Working in batches if necessary, grill the squashes over direct heat, skin side down, until deeply charred, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, use your hands to peel most (or all) of the skin. Cut into bite-size pieces.

5. In a large bowl, combine the squashes, scallions, arugula, apple, mint, and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle with the vinegar and enough olive oil to coat, generously season with flaky salt and pepper, and toss to combine. Taste, adjust as desired (adding more salt or vinegar, if needed), and serve immediately.

Whenever I spy colorful heads of cauliflower (yellow, purple, snowy white) or romanesco at the market, I yearn to make this salad from Collards & Carbonara, the excellent cookbook by Michael Hudman and Anthony Ticer, chefs at Hog & Hominy in Memphis. Their notion of grilling hearty winter vegetables and dressing them with a rich dressing was somewhat of a revelation. For the most striking result, use as many colors and varieties of vegetables as possible. They call for baby carrots, but I always use freshly harvested local carrots (orange, purple, and gold when possible) because the “fresh from the garden” flavor is so much better.

Brown Butter Vinaigrette

½ cup (110g) unsalted butter

¼ cup (60ml) sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons minced shallot

2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

½ cup (120ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 head cauliflower, sliced into large florets

18 baby carrots, cut on the bias into bite-size pieces

10 large radishes, trimmed

Olive oil, for drizzling

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 ounces (170g) arugula

Leaves from 6 sprigs mint, torn

12 ounces (340g) fresh goat cheese, crumbled

2. To make the vinaigrette, on the stove top or grill, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then turn the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, swirling the pan often, until the butter is browned and smells nutty, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown butter, vinegar, shallot, garlic, and Dijon. Whisk in the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. (You can also puree it in a blender if you prefer.)

3. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower, carrots, and radishes with enough olive oil to lightly coat. Season generously with salt and pepper.

4. Grill the vegetables over direct heat and cook, turning once, until pronounced grill marks form, about 2 minutes per side. You want to have nice caramelization on the vegetables, but they should still have some integrity.

5. Put the vegetables in a large bowl and let cool slightly. Add the arugula, mint, and vinaigrette, and toss well. Divide the vegetables evenly among 6 salad plates. Top with the goat cheese and serve.

Back in the day, late-night cabs from my cubicle in Manhattan to my apartment in Brooklyn Heights often meant take-out fattoush, the Middle Eastern chopped salad made with crunchy bits of pita bread. These days, when I make it at home, I like to grill the greens—usually spears of romaine lettuce or dandelion—to add a smoky depth that makes the salad complex and satisfying. Then I geek out over the prettiest vegetables I can find: sweet Persian cucumbers, radishes, cherry tomatoes, and plenty of fresh herbs. Sliced grilled chicken breast (see this page) would be great on top, too.

½ cup (120ml) well-shaken buttermilk

½ cup (120ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 heads baby romaine

4 Persian cucumbers

2 cups (270g) cherry tomatoes (preferably small Sweet 100s or an oval variety)

4 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias

4 to 6 radishes (any variety), thinly sliced

½ cup (25g) coarsely chopped Italian parsley

½ cup (20g) coarsely chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems)

2 pita breads (preferably day-old)

1 cup (150g) crumbled feta cheese

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, olive oil, 1 tablespoon of the vinegar, and the lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Quarter the romaine heads lengthwise, keeping the stem intact to help the leaves hold together on the grill. In a large bowl, drizzle the romaine with enough olive oil to lightly coat, season with salt, and use your hands to gently toss until evenly coated.

4. Peel lengthwise stripes into the cucumber by leaving some skin on, trim the ends, halve them lengthwise, and thinly slice them on the bias. Place the cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, scallions, radishes, parsley, and cilantro in a bowl. Add the remaining tablespoon of vinegar and a pinch of salt and gently toss to combine. Set aside to marinate.

5. Grill the pita bread over direct heat until charred on both sides, a minute per side. While the bread is still warm and pliable, slice it into 1½-inch (4cm) squares (otherwise, let the bread cool until crisp and then break it up with your hands). Grill the lettuce quarters over direct heat until lightly charred on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes, and then place them on a platter to cool slightly. Give the buttermilk dressing another whisk and pour half of it over the marinated vegetables; add half of the pita and toss to combine. Pour the remaining dressing over the grilled romaine, top with marinated vegetables, feta, remaining pita, and a grind of pepper. Serve immediately.