Getting to Cooked
In the summer, I often can’t bear the thought of turning on the oven in the hot afternoon, so I grill dinner. And, since the grill is hot, I might as well fill it up with everything that’s good in the market at the time. I’ll serve some of the veggies right away with the meal, typically with something green and garlicky. But I’ll make a point of squirreling some away for the next day, where they might end up in a salad, a pasta, or a soup. As you can see from the photo, sometimes I grill in the rain, too.
Time: 30 minutes (20 minutes active)
Makes about 4 cups
Special equipment: 6 to 8 bamboo skewers, soaked
1 pound Japanese or Chinese eggplant, cut into ½-inch rounds
Fine sea salt
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and core left intact, and cut into ½-inch wedges
Aleppo pepper to taste
½ cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon to oil the grill
1 sweet onion, sliced crosswise into ½-inch rounds
2 pounds zucchini (about 1 large), cut into ½-inch rounds
1 red bell pepper
1 lemon, halved
1 batch Salsa Verde, optional
1. Sprinkle the eggplant slices with salt and let sit for 15 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, sprinkle the fennel with salt and a pinch of Aleppo pepper. Toss gently with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and lay it out on a sheet pan.
3. Place skewers horizontally through the onion rounds to keep them together while grilling. Sprinkle the onion rounds with salt and Aleppo pepper, then rub them all over with about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Place them on the sheet with the fennel.
4. Toss the zucchini with sea salt, Aleppo pepper, and about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the zucchini and bell pepper on the baking sheet and turn the pepper to coat with the oil in the pan.
5. Pat the eggplant rounds with paper towels to absorb any surface moisture. Toss with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and place on the baking sheet.
6. Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high heat, and place 2 tablespoons of oil nearby, as well as the halved lemon. When hot, scrape the grill well. Generously coat a paper towel with some of the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and, using tongs, rub the grate with the oiled paper.
7. Working in batches as necessary, place the vegetables on the grill in an orderly pattern. Cook the vegetables until they are starting to brown, about 5 minutes. Dab with olive oil and squeeze lemon on the veggies, then turn and continue grilling, basting and turning every 5 minutes or so, until each vegetable slice is attractively browned and pliable. The fennel and the onions will take the longest, about 15 to 20 minutes. The zucchini, pepper, and eggplant should be done faster, in about 10 to 15 minutes. The pepper will be browned, blistery, and soft when cooked. Let it cool a bit, then peel it and remove the core before pulling into strips and serving.
8. Eat right away with the salsa verde, if desired, or refrigerate the vegetables after cooling; vegetables keep well for 3 days.
WAYS TO USE GRILLED VEGGIES
Soupily, in soups like instant miso soup, quick vegetable soup, or summer soup
Leafily, mixed into green salads with some raw vegetables for contrast, like The Modern Hippie Salad
Eggily, chopped and folded into an omelet or mixed into a frittata, strata, or soufflé or layered into a steamed egg cup
Pastily, tossed with marinara or pesto or creamy pasta
Spicily, mixed into curry bases or spicy bean soup
Spread out, as a crostini topping, like cauliflower
Sandwiched, topping the ricotta sandwich or warmed with tomatoes for a hero
OTHER VEGETABLES THAT LIKE TO BE GRILLED (AFTER TOSSING WITH SALT, PEPPER, AND A LITTLE OIL)
Asparagus (snap off the tough ends)
Whole poblano peppers
Mushrooms (place them on a skewer)
Cherry tomatoes (place them on a skewer)
Cooked potato slices
Broccolini or broccoli rabe (slice off the tough stalk ends)
Whole scallions
Radicchio (cut in wedges, leaving the core intact)
Corn on the cob, husked
Romaine lettuce (cut in wedges, oil well, and sprinkle with sherry vinegar occasionally while grilling)