More Garden Bounty

Image by bourgeoisbee via Flickr

The garden is in full swing these days. We picked our first squash and zucchini this weekend, the herbs are very plentiful, the chard and kale are continuing to come up (as is the lettuce), the tomatoes and cucumbers are on the vines. Soon we will have a refrigerator full of fresh vegetables.

Since I now have fresh onions, zucchini and yellow squash, I will fire up the grill this week to make my grilled vegetables. My peppers aren't ready yet and I don't have mushrooms, so I'll have to take a trip to the local produce stand to pick those up. Grilled vegetables are probably one of my favorite dishes -- lots of fresh chunks of fresh veggies, simply garnished with olive oil, salt & pepper and a little garlic powder. I always make sure to cut my vegetables up in nice-sized chunks so they don't fall apart on the grill. I use a grill pan so nothing falls into the fire. Here's my recipe:

• Fresh vegetables such as zucchini, yellow squash, onions, green and red peppers, mushrooms, asparagus, fennel
• Olive oil (just enough to coat all the vegetables)
• Salt, pepper and garlic powder

Wash and cut up the vegetables into good-sized chunks. Put the vegetable chunks into a large bowl and add olive oil to coat -- don't add so much that the veggies are dripping with oil. Transfer the vegetables to the grill pan and sprinkle with the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Cook over a hot grill, turning frequently to avoid burning the vegetables. Don't crowd the vegetables on the grill pan - they will come out much better if they are cooked in batches.

This recipe can also be done in the oven; again, make sure the vegetables are not crowded in the pan, and roast in a 425-degree oven. Turn after about 10 minutes and then cook about 10-15 minutes more until done.

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