I remember the first time I saw a platter of grilled vegetables. It was in a little trattoria in northern Italy: Scarlet tomatoes and bell peppers, dark green zucchini and asparagus, and golden yellow squash were arranged on a simple white platter that looked like a painting.
I thought it was one of the most beautiful displays of color I had ever seen. I remember thinking at that time that I had never seen anything like that on an American menu.
Years later, grilled vegetables have become a much-loved dish in restaurants across our nation. They are also easy to prepare for the home cook. These colorful vegetables are a wonderful offering as a side dish or a first course.
On the Fourth of July, a platter of these vegetables has become a holiday tradition at my house. If I am going to a friend’s party, I always make sure to prepare a platter to share with the guests. If you plan to transport them, place them in a plastic container, cover and refrigerate until serving.
The key to perfect grilled vegetables is to make sure they are branded with grill marks on the outside and just cooked through inside. The grill should be medium-high so the vegetables can cook evenly.
Be as creative as you like by selecting the freshest vegetables available at the market. You can add husked corn, whole portobello mushrooms and even peeled avocado halves for a more elaborate platter.
I like to finish the vegetables with a drizzling of herbed summer vinaigrette. Fresh basil, chives and parsley are a welcome addition to this classic vinaigrette.
You’ll find that any remaining vinaigrette is wonderful on a simple green salad, sliced ripe tomatoes, pasta salad or even as a nice finish to simple grilled chicken or fish. If you are in a hurry, you can just drizzle the grilled vegetables with lemon juice and a fruity olive oil instead of the vinaigrette.
Help is on the way: I like to make extra grilled vegetables so I can add them to other dishes.
A stunning salad can be created by chopping all these vegetables and combining them with grilled chicken, shrimp or scallops and tossing them with summer vinaigrette.
The vegetables also make a great sandwich; add a little goat cheese for a wonderful flavor. Any leftover vegetables can also be blended with chicken or vegetable stock for an instant cold soup and enriched with a bit of creme fraiche or sour cream.
Assorted grilled summer vegetable platter
2 red bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers
4 medium zucchini
4 medium Japanese eggplants
Olive oil spray
6 Roma tomatoes, halved
12 peeled and trimmed asparagus
½ cup summer vinaigrette (see below)
Assorted finely chopped fresh herbs, for garnish
Prepare the barbecue for medium-high heat grilling.
Place the peppers on the grill and grill about 3 inches from the heat until the skin is blistered and slightly charred on all sides. (Always use long tongs to turn the peppers. Never pierce the pepper or the juices will escape.)
Put the peppers in a brown paper bag and close it tightly. Let the peppers rest for 10 minutes. Remove the peppers from the bag and drain the peppers. Peel off the charred skin with your fingers.
Make a slit in each pepper and open it up. Core and cut off the stem. Scrape the seeds and ribs from the peppers. Cut the peppers with a sharp knife or a pizza cutter into ½-inch wide slices. Place on a serving platter.
Trim the stems off the zucchini and eggplant and slice them into 1/4-inch lengthwise pieces. Spray the eggplant and zucchini slices with olive oil and grill on each side for about 3 or 4 minutes or until the vegetables have grill marks and are beginning to feel soft. Place on the serving platter.
Repeat with the tomatoes, grilling them about 3 minutes on a side. Grill the asparagus, turning to evenly grill them, about 5 minutes total grilling time.
Arrange the vegetables on the serving platter in an attractive design. Cover and refrigerate.
Just before serving, if desired, drizzle them with the summer vinaigrette and a sprinkle of fresh herbs.
Advance preparation: This may be prepared 1 day ahead (minus the summer vinaigrette), covered and refrigerated.
SUMMER VINAIGRETTE
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
1 teaspoon finely chopped basil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine the shallots, garlic, parsley, chives, basil, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and red wine vinegar in a medium bowl and whisk until well-blended. (Or place in a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process until well-blended.)
Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking continuously (or processing) until blended. Add salt and pepper and taste for seasoning. Makes 1 cup.
Advance preparation: This may be prepared and kept up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Whisk before using.
Diane Rossen Worthington is the author of 18 cookbooks, including “Seriously Simple.” To contact her, go to www.seriouslysimple.com.
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