The Bountiful Hive —

Savory Simplicity: Grilling Your Favorite Summer Vegetables And Other Treats

By Meg Maher-Soto

It’s not too difficult to don a vegetarian’s hat in the summer, with the season’s abundance of fresh vegetables. Besides the wonderful variety in the grocery store, a local farmer’s market is a feast for the eyes and palate. It is a thrill to see the colorful masses, stacked high and just waiting to be savored.

Also, for freshness and nutrition, the farmer’s market is the way to go

 The produce here has just been picked by local farmers and stacked up at dawn for your shopping pleasure.

So, with this in mind, get ready to fulfill your daily requirement of vegetables this summer.

Fire up the grill, season and slice some vegetables, and allow them to roast over charcoal. Here are a few recipes that will prove to be a repeat performance throughout your summer meals.

Grilled Vegetables

(Serves 6)

3 small eggplants, washed, sliced into ½-inch thick discs and sprinkled with salt

4 small zucchinis, washed and cut on a bias into ½-inch pieces

4 small yellow squash, wash and cut on a bias into ½-inch pieces

2 red bell peppers, seeded and cut in half, and then each half cut into three pieces

2 yellow bell peppers, seed and cut in half, and then each half cut into three pieces

1 large Vidalia, white or Spanish onion, peeled and sliced into ½-inch discs

½ cup olive oil

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

1½  teaspoons sea salt

Freshly ground pepper

½ teaspoon each thyme, rosemary, basil, herbs provencal

Preheat a charcoal or gas grill. Place the vegetables into a large bowl. Add olive oil and vinegar and toss vegetables to cover. Sprinkle in the salt, freshly ground pepper and herbs. Toss until well coated.

Place vegetables in one layer on the grill and cook for approximately 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Allow for some light charring. Layer vegetables on platter. Can be served hot or room temperature.

Serving Suggestions: You can also drizzle some good quality extra virgin olive oil over them after they have been cooked, and sprinkle with a pinch more salt. Or serve the vegetables on a bed of dressed mesclun greens and top with crumbled gorgonzola or feta cheese. Or serve alongside grilled chicken breasts or grilled fish fillets.

Roasted Peppers

(Serves 6)

Roasted red peppers are one of those ingredients that add depth and flavor to any dish. They are best when made fresh, either roasted in the oven or grilled over a charcoal grill. Forget the jars and cans, they cannot compare to the sweet, smoky flavor of fresh peppers from the grill!

4 red, yellow or orange bell peppers, washed and left whole

Marinade:

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Place the whole peppers on the grill and cook on all sides until slightly charred, about 6 to 8 minutes. Place the hot peppers into a stainless steel bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes, until cool enough to handle.

Peel peppers. Some of the skin may be blackened; this is fine, and it makes for a more delicious pepper. Cut in half. Remove the stem and the seeds and set aside.

Mix together the oil, salt and pepper. Toss peppers in oil. Best served at room temperature. Peppers must be refrigerated overnight.

Serving Suggestions: Try these peppers in any sandwich! They are especially wonderful with tuna salad, turkey, roast beef and cheeses like mozzarella, parmesan and sharp provolone. Or toss them into an omelet, frittata or scrambled eggs.

They are also heavenly with steak and wonderful with tuna and swordfish, too. Or slice thinly and toss into salad greens. Or slice and top on your favorite pasta dish.

Grilled Quesadilla

(Serves 4)

Here is a new twist on everyone’s favorite. Try this recipe on the grill. The charred marks you will obtain from grilling the tortillas will be similar to the way the quesadillas are prepared in restaurants.

8 ounces low-fat cream cheese

½ cup shredded Monterey Jack or fontina cheese

½ cup freshly graded parmesan cheese

¼ cup good-quality roasted canned chilies OR ¼ cup sundried tomato relish

8 8-10 inch plain or flavored flour tortillas

Sour cream, guacamole or salsa for topping

Preheat a charcoal or gas grill. Combine first four ingredients until blended. Spread a scant 1/3  cup of the cheese mixture on four of the tortillas, being careful to leave a ½-inch border around the edges (to prevent the mixture from melting out).

Top each tortilla with another tortilla. Place each quesadilla directly onto the grill over a low flame. Cook on each side until the tortilla is crisp and golden and grill marks appear.

Remove to a cutting board and cut each quesadilla into four wedges. Garnish with sour cream, guacamole or salsa.

*To add some nutrition, you can opt for black beans or kidney beans. Drain, rinse and pat dry and layer on top of cheese mixture. You will need just about one 10-ounce can.

Corn & Black

Bean Salad

(Serves 4)

When you tire of corn-on-the-cob, if that is at all possible, here is a composed salad that sheds some light our summer standby. Serve this salad at room temperature for the best flavor.

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Juice of one lime

Juice of ½ lemon

¼ cut fresh cilantro, chopped

Tabasco sauce to taste

½ teaspoon coarse salt

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Whisk together the above ingredients to make the dressing.

4 ears corn, blanched in boiling water for 2 minutes or grilled slightly

2 cups cooked black beans (or one 16-ounce can, dried)

1 roasted red pepper, sliced into narrow strips (see previous recipe)

2 ripe avocados

4 ripe tomatoes

With a knife, scrape the corn kernels off the cobs into a bowl. Add the beans and red pepper and a little of the dressing. Cut the avocado in half, then pit and peel them, and slice them.

Slice the tomatoes into thick wedges. Divide the slices among four plates. Sprinkle the avocado and tomatoes with the remaining dressing. Spoon the corn salad into the center of the plates.

Note: Fresh lump crabmeat is a wonderful addition to this salad. You will need one pound. Spoon the crabmeat on top of the corn salad. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice and garnish with cilantro leaves.

Pesto Genovese

(Makes 1½ cups)

Summer also means the alluring sweet aroma of basil. For those of us who love basil, why naturally, we want an authentic pesto.

Here is the recipe for authentic pesto from Genoa. It should be made in a mortar, with a pestle (as pesto’s name suggests), but a food processor works well too.

Use either one of both of the cheeses suggested; pecorino romano is too salty for this sauce.

Never cook pesto. It will become bitter. Toss over hot linguine or gnocchi.

Refrigerate any leftover pesto. Pesto freezes very well.

1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped

3 Tbsp pine nuts

2 tightly packed cups small basil leaves, washed and dried

½ cup grated pecorino sardo (sheep’s milk cheese from Sardinia) OR parmigiano-reggiano

½ cup good-quality extra virgin olive oil

Coarse salt

Crush garlic and pine nuts in a large mortar to make a smooth paste. Add basil to mortar, gradually, grinding leaves against side of mortar with pestle. Crust to a course paste. Add a pinch of salt and continue crushing, then gradually stir in the cheese. Drizzle in olive oil and continue working until pesto is very smooth and no large pieces of basil are visible.

For food processor method, place pine nuts, garlic and salt in processor bowl and blend to a paste. Add basil, drizzle in oil, and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and stir in grated cheese by hand.

I hope you will find these and many more summer recipes to be as satisfying and nutritious as they have been to me over the years. They are the tried and true in my family’s kitchen and I hope that they will be come a part of your culinary repertoire as well!

(Meg Maher-Soto operates The Cook & The Baker catering company with her husband, who is, of course, a chef. She can be reached at 426-7927.)