_vegetable Grilling Chart Recipes

*VEGETABLES

Steps:

• For generations, mothers and grandmothers alike have extolled the virtues of vegetables. More recently, health experts have practically gone hoarse reminding us that we need our A, C, E, and B12. Antioxidants are the superheroes of the moment. And yet very few of us manage to choke down our "five a day for better health." What gives? We suspect it's not all our fault. So where does it start? At the grocery store, we argue. Countless polls confirm how bored we've become with the shopping process. Most of us make do with a pit stop after work, or fly in to grab a couple of things on a Saturday morning. Just enough to get us by. Why? Of course, we're all time-pressed. But maybe our taste buds are just a little bored with the same old routine. Face it, once you've steamed one asparagus spear, you've steamed them all. America, isn't it time we gave vegetables another chance? Imagine, instead of trolling the produce aisle, going through the motions, we could put some fun back in the courtship! We might start looking forward to that chance encounter with a perfectly ripe tomato or significant moment with a handsome acorn squash. We might find unimagined fulfillment with an artichoke. Of course, if you're wise enough to grow a vegetable garden, you don't have to look any farther than your own backyard for veggie bliss. There's nothing better than homegrown sweet corn or a vine-ripened tomato. But what about those of us who don't have a garden? First, it helps to learn the season for each vegetable and then eat it when Nature meant it to be eaten. (This seems totally obvious, but it's easy to be misled when just about everything is available all year round.) We know tomatoes in winter are just never going to taste like summer's. August's asparagus can't hold a candle to April's. And trying winter squash in June is just setting yourself up for a letdown. Still, it's hard to resist when special offers beckon from the food section of the local paper. And it's so easy to be seduced by looks. (We've all fallen for the gorgeous but tasteless type, no?) Much of today's grocery produce is bred for uniformity, color, and the ability to survive a long haul on a truck. Sadly, most is picked too early to reach its full potential in smell and taste, then left to "ripen" under the glare of artificial lights. The cure? Shop whenever you can at a farmer's market, where you'll find food grown for the table (not the produce bin) and that has had a chance to ripen in the field. Small farmers have the advantage of being closer to their retail outlets, so they can wait to pick the produce when it's ripe. Since this produce is grown as food and not necessarily beauty-pageant material, you'll often find odd-shaped specimens. These quirky profiles just add charm to the pursuit. You could love a zucchini with a crooked nose, couldn't you, if it was sweet and tender? But wherever you find your vegetables, you'll do right by them if you put them on the grill. The grill does something to vegetables that makes us all a little weak in the knees. It draws out their natural sugars and caramelizes them on the surface right where you can taste them. Add that little hint of smoke and they become downright irresistible. And because the grill cooks them quickly, it heightens their color and appearance, too. All those veggies need is a light coating of olive oil to prevent them from sticking to the grate and to keep them nice and moist. That, and a dash of salt and pepper. We have plenty of recipes in this chapter that feature vegetables as the main course, as well as side dishes that round out a great grilled meal. Once you're hooked on grilled veggies, you'll discover their amazing versatility. Grilling vegetable ingredients before you add them to a dish can make an ordinary meal spectacular. Soon you'll be grilling up extra asparagus, peppers, and onions for tomorrow's omelette, sandwiches, soup, or pasta dish. And more importantly, you'll be eating your veggies because you want to. Mom would be proud.From Weber's Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.

_VEGETABLE GRILLING CHART

Steps:

• Artichokes, whole Preparation: Drizzle with melted butter or oil, then foil-wrap Method/Grill Time: Indirect High/30 to 45 min Special Instructions: Remove tough outer leaves and trim stems before grillingAsparagus, whole Preparation: Toss with melted butter or oil Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/6 to 8 min Special Instructions: Snap off tough ends before preparingBeets, whole Preparation: Oil Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/1 to 1 1/2 hr, until tender Special Instructions: Remove tops before grilling, but leave root ends intact turn 3 or 4 timesBell Peppers, whole Preparation: None Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/10 to 12 min Special Instructions: See REFERANCE & APPENDIX, _Grill-Roasted Peppers: Hot Little NumbersBell Peppers, halved or quartered Preparation: Flatten and oil Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/6 to 8 min Special Instructions: Turn onceCabbage, whole or quartered Preparation: Butter or oil, then foil-wrap Method/Grill Time: Indirect Medium/1 1/2 to 2 hr Special Instructions: Add 30 min to grilling time if foil pack left open, as in recipe "Barbecued Cabbage"Chiles- Anaheim or Poblano, whole Preparation: None Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/7 to 9 min Special Instructions: See REFERANCE & APPENDIX, _Grill-Roasted Peppers: Hot Little NumbersCorn, in husks Preparation: Leave plain or butter Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/25 to 30 min Special Instructions: See REFERANCE & APPENDIX, _Corn & Squash: Year-Round HeroesCorn, husked Preparation: Butter Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/10 to 12 min Special Instructions: See REFERANCE & APPENDIX, _Corn & Squash: Year-Round HeroesEggplant- Globe, 1/2-inch slices Preparation: Oil Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/8 to 10 minEggplant- Japanese, halved lengthwise Preparation: Oil Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/12 to 15 minFennel, 1/4-inch slices Preparation: Oil Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/10 to 12 minGarlic, whole Preparation: Drizzle with oil then foil-wrap Method/Grill Time: Indirect Medium/45 to 60 min Special Instructions: See REFERANCE & APPENDIX, _Great Grilled Garlic: Mom's Own Comfort FoodGreen Beans Preparation: Toss with melted butter or oil Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/8 to 10 minMushrooms- Portabello, whole Preparation: Marinate, butter, or oil Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/12 to 15 min Special Instructions: Grilling times depend on thickness and moisture content baste with oil as needed to prevent drying Mushrooms- Shiitake or Button, whole Preparation: Marinate, butter, or oil Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/8 to 10 min Special Instructions: Grilling times depend on thickness and moisture content baste with oil as needed to prevent dryingOnions- White, Yellow, or Red, 1/2-inch slices Preparation: Oil Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/10 to 12 min Special Instructions: Grill onion slices until tender baste with oil as needed Onions- Green, 1/2-inch slices Preparation: Oil Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/3 to 4 min Special Instructions: Grill onion slices until tender baste with oil as neededPotatoes- Russet, Yukon Gold, or Red, whole Preparation: Butter or oil Method/Grill Time: Indirect Medium/45 to 60 minPotatoes- Russet, Yukon Gold, or Red, 1/2-inch wedges Preparation: Toss with melted butter or oil Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/10 to 12 minPotatoes- Russet, Yukon Gold, or Red, 1/2-inch slices Preparation: Toss with melted butter or oil Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/14 to 16 minPotatoes- New or Small, halved or quartered Preparation: Toss with melted butter or oil Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/20 to 25 min Special Instructions: Skewer for easy turningSquashes, Summer- Yellow or Zucchini, 1/2-inch slices Preparation: Oil Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/6 to 8 minSquashes, Winter- Acorn, Buttercup, Butternut, Golden Nugget, Hubbard, or Spaghetti, halved Preparation: Brush open halves with butter or oil Method/Grill Time: Indirect Medium/1-lb 40 to 45 min, 2-lb 50 to 55 min, 3-lb spaghetti 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hr Special Instructions: Scrape out seeds and strings from halves. Grill, cut side down first turn once. Squash is done when you can pierce the flesh easily with a fork Squashes, Winter- Pumpkin, hollowed, with top on Preparation: Brush interior with butter or oil Method/Grill Time: Indirect Medium/ 3-lb 1 1/2 to 2 hr Special Instructions: Grill, right side up, with top on no need to turn Sweet Potatoes, whole Preparation: Butter or oil Method/Grill Time: Indirect Medium/About 50 min to 1 hr, until tender Special Instructions: Turn 3 or 4 timesTomatoes- Plum, whole Preparation: None Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/8 to 10 min Special Instructions: Tomatoes become quite tender on the grill, so use care to gently remove them cooking time varies according to ripeness and moisture content Tomatoes- Plum, halved lengthwise Preparation: None Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/6 to 8 min Special Instructions: Tomatoes become quite tender on the grill, so use care to gently remove them cooking time varies according to ripeness and moisture content Tomatoes- Beefsteak, 1/2-inch slices Preparation: None Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/2 to 4 min Special Instructions: Tomatoes become quite tender on the grill, so use care to gently remove them cooking time varies according to ripeness and moisture content Tomatoes- Beefsteak, halved Preparation: None Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/6 to 8 min Special Instructions: Tomatoes become quite tender on the grill, so use care to gently remove them cooking time varies according to ripeness and moisture content Tomatoes- Cherry, halved Preparation: None Method/Grill Time: Direct Medium/2 to 4 min Special Instructions: Skewer for easy turningFrom Weber's Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.