Grilling Tips - Grilling Recipes
How to Cook Summer Vegetables
by Kat Kinsman
It's easy to feel overwhelmed at the summer greenmarket or grocery store. All that peak-season produce looks so fresh and delicious, but what the heck do you do with it when you get home? We've got plenty of tips and recipes to help you make the most of nature's bounty.
Rachel Been
CORN
We're all ears when grilling guru Steven Raichlen talks veggies. Try his Grilled Corn recipe for a husk-off, herb-buttered version, and you'll never boil a cob again.
Remove cooked niblets with a sharp knife and fry with onions and bacon for a savory side dish, or toss with black beans, tomatoes and cilantro to make a cool Southwestern salad.
Tip: Look for corn with an intact husk and silk that's not dried out. At home, a toothbrush will loosen any clinging silk threads from the kernels.
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Rachel Been
TOMATOES
Peak season tomatoes are too special just to play second fiddle as a sandwich topping. Show 'em off in our no-fail Heirloom Caprese Salad, a batch of Salsa Fresca or a rustic Panzanella -- a traditional Italian tomato and bread salad.
Tip: Don't store tomatoes in the fridge, as it'll cause them to get mealy and lose flavor. The countertop is ideal.
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Rachel Been
CABBAGE
Whether it's vinegar, mayo or mustard based, there's no summer side so fresh and sassy as cole slaw.
Colorful cabbage heads also make festive dip bowls. Just wash, dry and slice off the protrusion from the core end so it will sit upright without wobbling. Then trim off the top quarter, and remove the core and inner leaves (save these for slaw!) with a grapefruit knife, leaving a wall that's about half an inch thick. Fill it up with your favorite dip.
Tip: For optimum flavor and freshness, select smaller, more compact heads with few loose leaves. For maximum crispiness, soak shreds in salted ice water for 15 minutes before combining with other ingredients.
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Rachel Been
SWEET & PEARL ONIONS
Sweet young onions are a great fit for the grill since their long, edible tops can be used as natural handles. Just make sure to oil them well and heat indirectly to avoid charring.
They're also quite appealing chopped, greens and all, and tossed raw over salads and potatoes or briefly sauteed and stirred into eggs and pasta. The flavor is slightly more more pungent that that of a scallion, and even light cooking will bring out natural sweetness and soften any bite they've developed.
Tip: Store these onions wrapped loosely in paper towels in a crisper drawer and handle lightly to prevent bruising.
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Rachel Been
BELL PEPPERS
Bell peppers come in almost every color of the rainbow, and they're all endlessly appealing in cool summer gazpacho, cut into strips or cubes to add color and crunch to salads and stir fries, or as a hearty stuffed entree.
Grilling brings out bell pepper's natural sweetness, and adds some wonderfully smoky notes. Slice in half, remove seeds, brush with oil and place face down on the grate until tender and lightly charred. Cut into strips, these are unbeatable on burgers, served over rice and pasta, or simply enjoyed alone.
Tip: Don't have grill access? Peppers can be roasted under your oven's broiler or over a gas burner on your stovetop. Try for an all-over char, and once they're cooled, peel off the outer layer with your fingers or a paring knife.
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Rachel Been
TOMATILLOS
This husk-wrapped nightshade is related to the tomato, but boasts the tart taste that's the foundation of salsa verde. Grilled Tomatillo Salsa packs heat, sweet, tartness and a lightly smoky note into a sensational party pleaser.
Tip: Select tomatillos that fill their papery husks and have no visible damage. Husks should be removed and the fruit washed to remove stickiness from its exterior, but it's not necessary to seed tomatillos.
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Rachel Been
BROCCOLI
This vitamin-packed brassica is sensational steamed (7 minutes should do it), stir-fried with sesame oil and soy sauce, raw or lightly blanched with dip or in slaw. Lemon juice kicks up the flavor, but make sure to add it toward the end of cooking.
Tip: Air circulation is crucial for properly storing broccoli, so mist the florets, wrap loosely in a paper towel, and make sure any external plastic bags are perforated.
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Rachel Been
CAULIFLOWER
Sure, you can sub in cauliflower for just about any recipe that calls for broccoli, but why should it play second fiddle? It makes a glorious gratin, is perfect for curries and serves up a memorable Tuscan-Style Ziti.
Tip: Cook cauliflower with milk or lemon juice to maintain its whiteness. Aluminum pots will add a yellow cast, and iron will brown down or blue its hue.
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Rachel Been
NEW POTATOES
These baby taters tend to have a flaky, thin skin that doesn't need to be peeled -- just washed. Their small size makes them ideal for herb roasting and boiling, and they're a standout for potato salads.
Tip: If you're buying new potatoes loose rather than bagged, select those of similar size so they'll cook in the same amount of time.
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Rachel Been
