July Recipe

(Each month, I include a recipe in the monthly newsletter for the kitchen where I work. These recipes need to complement the entrees on our menu that particular month, and are targeted towards our average customer. That means it needs to be simple, require little active prep work, and use only the most basic ingredients. Here is what we published in July.)

The zucchini plants in my backyard are full of blossoms, so soon I will be able to eat squash for breakfast, lunch, and dinner 7 days a week! My favorite way to prepare zucchini is on the grill. As in roasting, grilling vegetables requires little fat, making it heart-healthy, and brings out the vegetable's inherent sweetness.

Whether you are using summer squash, sweet potatoes, onions, corn, eggplant, peppers, or new potatoes, there are a few rules of thumb:

1. Cut the vegetable so that it can be placed along the grates of your grill without falling into the fire. For skinny vegetables like zucchini or sweet potatoes, cut them into long spears. For round vegetables like onions or eggplant, use thick discs. (A skewer through the side of the onion slices will help keep it from falling through the grates) Whatever shape you use, make sure the pieces are thick, ½ to ¾ of an inch.


2. Lightly brush the cut side of the vegetable with olive oil. You can season the oil with salt and pepper, garlic, rosemary, or any dried herb, but plain olive oil works great on its own.


3. For corn, peel all but the innermost, transparent layer of the husk off. Trim the silk off the end of the corn. There is no need to oil the husk or wrap it in foil (which will steam the corn instead of cooking it with direct heat)


4. Use a medium-hot fire. The density of the vegetable will determine the length of time they will need to cook. Potatoes and onions will take the longest (10-12 minutes, turning once) while zucchini or peppers are a bit quicker (8-10 minutes, turning once). Corn also takes 10-12 minutes, but it needs to be turned every 1-2 minutes.

So the next time you are firing up the grill for some Carne Asada, Grilled Blackened Salmon, or Raspberry BBQ chicken, fix your sides at the same time, on the same grill!