The grilling season is – finally! – upon us. While grilling proteins such as meats, poultry and fish utilize varying levels of skill, grilling vegetables to perfection requires more finesse. I developed this guide for grilling vegetables over many years of trial and error, and believe me, there were lots of errors! One or more grilled vegetables can be wonderful side dishes, but a platter of mixed grilled vegetables make a fantastic meatless feast.

Grilled vegetables

Many vegetables are suitable for grilling.

Densely textured vegetables may need to be partially or wholly cooked before grilling. Any vegetable to be grilled should be brushed or tossed with oil (preferably olive oil), butter or a combination of the two (my preference) and lightly salted before grilling. Other flavorings such as herbs, vinegar, lemon juice and sugar may be used. Ideally, vegetables should be cut to a uniform thickness. Small vegetables or vegetables cut into bite-sized pieces are easiest to deal with when skewered.

Start a fire with hardwood charcoal or light a gas grill. Place the hot coals on one side of the grill or, if possible with a gas grill, heat only one side. This gives you a place to move vegetables to keep them from burning.

A moderate to low heat fire is always best when grilling vegetables.

Artichokes – Trim the artichokes and boil until just barely tender in salted and acidulated water. Cut in half, remove the choke, brush with oil, sprinkle with salt and grill cut side down until lightly browned.

Asparagus – Brush with oil and lightly salt. Choose medium to thick spears and keep the tips away from the hottest part of the fire. To avoid the stalks falling between the grates and for easy turning, skewer several stalks together in a “raft” with two wooden skewers. Grill just until crisp/tender.

Corn on the cob – Corn can be grilled by peeling back the husks, removing the silks, then pulling the husks back over the corn and placing on the fire. Alternatively, the husks can be pulled back (tie the husks with a strip of the husk and leave in place for a convenient “handle”. Brush the corn with butter or oil and place directly on the fire, with the husks off the heat. Turn frequently until the corn is lightly browned.

Eggplant – Cut into slices or planks, depending on the type of eggplant. The pieces should be at least ½-inch thick. The surfaces that will be on the grates should be peeled, (otherwise peeling is optional) and lightly scored. Brush with oil and sprinkle with salt. Grill until completely tender. In the Middle East, eggplant is most often grilled/roasted by oiling a whole unpeeled eggplant and placing it on the fire. Grill, turning frequently, until the outside is blackened and the inside is fully cooked and soft. The eggplant is then cut in half and the flesh scooped out to use in dips and as a purée.

Leeks – Trim off the root, leaving enough to keep the layers from separating; trim the top so that about 3-inches of green remains. This is for decorative purposes only, as the green part is inedibly tough. Slice in half lengthwise. Brush with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill, cut sides down until golden brown and very slightly charred, about 8–12 minutes. Do not turn.

Mushrooms – Grill portobellos either whole or in ½-inch slices. Large cremini (also known as baby portobellos), large shiitake, button mushrooms and large oyster mushrooms can also be successfully grilled. Thread smaller cremini, shiitake and button mushrooms on skewers. All should be brushed with oil and salted and peppered before grilling. Grill until tender and golden brown. In general, wild mushrooms such as morels and chanterelles are very delicate and are not good candidates for grilling.

Onions – Cut onions into slices at least ½-inch thick. Reserve the curved ends for other uses. Pierce onion slices with skewers or toothpicks to keep from separating. Small whole onions such as cippolini or pearl onions should be parboiled before using for kebobs. Brush the cut sides of the slices with oil, salt and pepper and grill on both sides. You can grill them until completely softened or until crisp/tender, depending on the onion’s flavor and final use.

Peppers – Clean peppers and slice into strips at least ½-inch thick or cut into sections. Oil lightly, sprinkle with salt and grill to desired doneness – anywhere from crisp/tender to completely softened. To smoke roast peppers, place whole untrimmed peppers directly over the heat. Grill, turning frequently, until the skin is completely blackened. Place peppers in a paper or plastic bag and let rest for at least 10 minutes. The steam helps loosen the skin. Wipe off the charred skin. It’s OK if little bits of the char remain – that’s part of the flavor. Wiping off the skin with a paper towel in hand makes things easier. Cut the peppers open over a bowl to catch the juices and remove the seeds and stems.

Potatoes – Potatoes should be cooked just until completely cooked through before grilling. Do not overcook, or they may crumble apart when grilling. Trim unpeeled baking potatoes lengthwise into planks about 1 ½-inch thick. Steam or boil just until tender. Brush with salt and pepper, and grill until quite brown and crispy on the outside. Round boiling potatoes can be cut into quarters or large chunks. Cut before cooking. Fingerling potatoes may be left whole or halved. Boil or steam and proceed as above. For an extra crispy crust, whisk superfine flour, such as Wondra into the oil before brushing the potatoes in the proportion of one part flour to two parts oil.

Summer squashes – Zucchini, yellow squash, pattypans – Choose small to medium size squashes without large seeds in the center. Cut in halves or planks of at least ½-inch even thickness. If you can, find zucchini or yellow squash with the blossoms still attached; they make a lovely presentation. Be sure to keep the blossoms away from the direct heat. Brush with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and grill to desired tenderness. Depending on thickness, they may or may not need to be turned.

Sweet potatoes – Peel sweet potatoes and cut into planks as described above for potatoes or cut into quarters. Steam or boil just until cooked. Brush with oil, salt and pepper, and grill until golden brown. They can also be brushed with equal parts melted butter and brown sugar. Be careful the sugar doesn’t burn. These make a delicious dessert topped with ice cream (coffee ice cream is especially good).

Tomatoes – Choose tomatoes that are ripe but still firm. Cut a thin slice off the top of round tomatoes and halve Italian tomatoes. Gently squeeze out some of the seeds. Oil the cut sides, salt and pepper, and place the cut sides down on the grill. Grill until browned and just slightly softened. Overcooking will result in mushy tomatoes suitable only for a grilled tomato sauce.

Contact Julianne Glatz at [email protected].