Images of steaks, hamburgers, hot dogs and chicken float through most people’s minds when they think of grilling, but the grill is an exciting way to cook vegetables too. It doesn’t have to be complicated and, in the end, you’ll have a colorful, flavorful feast to dig into!
With the right timing, you can cook everything in sequence so that the whole meal is completed together. It will save you time and energy, but most importantly the knowledge that grilling will coax out some amazing flavors.
- First, you will want to start off with a clean grill. Anything that is baked on to the grate where you lay down your food will give your veggies an unpleasant flavor. It’s definitely not the type of “smoky flavor” you will want to infuse into your veggies.
2. Second, you will need some different kinds of tools depending on what veggies you plan on grilling. Skewers for kebabs can be metal or wood, but the wooden ones need to be soaked thoroughly so they don’t catch fire. Investing in a grilling basket or a cast iron frying pan will help with smaller veggies so they don’t fall through the grate. A good set of tongs that are long enough to allow you to turn your veggies without getting burnt will certainly come in handy too.
3. You will want to lightly coat your veggies in oil before grilling. The most tragic thing that can happen when you are grilling vegetables is that they get stuck to the grill. Make sure you don’t use too much because dripping oil can cause flares and burnt flavor. Tossing them in oil also has another benefit, it will help seasonings stick. You can keep seasoning simple to just salt and pepper, or you can be adventurous and use a variety of fresh or dried herbs to enhance the flavors of your grilled veggies.
Now that you’re ready to fire up the grill and make your veggie feast, here are some delicious ways to include greenhouse grown veggies!
Tomatoes
When grilling larger tomatoes, like Pure Flavor® Red Beefsteak Tomatoes, coring and halving them will add a smoke char to that fresh tomato. The best way to halve a tomato for grilling is to cut it along the equator. This allows moisture to escape, and the tomato will stay intact. Try stuffing them for a full meal idea.
If you have tomatoes that are still on the vine, like Pure Flavor® Tomatoes On-The-Vine, Luna® Sweets Cocktail Tomatoes or the incredible RedRoyals® Sweet Cherry Tomatoes On-The-Vine, it is perfectly fine to brush some oil on them and put them directly on the grill without removing them from the vine. Leave them on the grill until their skins are charred and blistered, this way you get a delightful smokey flavor.
For smaller tomatoes, like Pure Flavor® Juno® Bites Red Grape Tomatoes, Cloud 9® Bite-Sized Fruity Tomatoes, or Sangria® Medley Tomatoes, you will want to use skewers, a cast iron pan, or a grill basket to prevent the tomatoes from falling through the grate.
Peppers
To grill a whole Pure Flavor® Sweet Bell Pepper or Craft House Collection® Aurora Long Sweet Pepper, start by brushing the outside with olive oil. Cook each side for 3 to 4 minutes, looking for the skin to char and blister. While you can grill these peppers whole, you can also cut them into quarters. If you’re cutting them, always grill the skin side first. Pure Flavor® Aurora Bites Mini Sweet Peppers are also great on skewers or grilled in a basket with other veggies.
Now that you have all the tips and tricks to grilling up some amazing veggies, it’s time to fire up that grill! There are so many different colors and flavor combinations for you to explore this summer, you could make a different veggie feast every day and not have the same one twice.
For more grilling inspiration, visit the Pure Flavor® website!
