Yes, You Can Grill That!

Summer is here and its finally time to pull out the grill and throw a few parties or just enjoy it with family. Summer brings in a lot of local fruits and vegetables and believe it or not most of them can be grilled. Grilling fruits and vegetables provides a nice caramelization and robust flavor.

Before throwing fruits and vegetables on a grill there are a few guidelines to follow to get the best results and flavor. First, you will want to coat your produce with a tiny bit of olive oil to prevent it from sticking to the grill. Keep the size of the fruits and vegetables large or add them to skewers to keep them from falling through the grate.  

Veggies

Vegetables can be cooked over medium to high heat. Most vegetables can go straight to the grill but harder vegetables such as potatoes, squash, and fennel will need to be pre-cooked beforehand. The most popular summer vegetables to grill include eggplant, bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, carrots, and corn. Eggplants, zucchini, and carrots should be cut into large slices, tomatoes can simply be cut in half and corn should stay in the husks before adding them to the grill.

Another great way to grill vegetables is in aluminum foil. This is best for harder vegetables such as potatoes or smaller vegetables susceptible to falling through the grates like green beans. Take a long sheet of foil, add one layer of choice vegetables, season with salt and pepper and fold over to make a pocket. Place in the grate and cook until tender.

Fruits

Fruit is cooked best over medium heat and the grates should be very clean. Fruits grill much faster than vegetables due to their high-water content, softer texture, and high sugar content so you will need to be more attentive. Pick fruits that are firm and just about to be ripe. Most fruits can simply be cut in half and placed on the grill. Other fruits like apples or melons need to be cored, peeled and cut into large slices.

The best fruit to grill include apples, pineapple, pears and melons because they are generally more firm than other fruits. Soft fruits such as mangos, papayas, and peaches can be grilled too but require a lot less time or they will turn mushy. Bananas are another great choice to grill, simply cut it half, lengthwise with the peel and place flesh down over an oiled grate for about two minutes.

Keep these tips in mind when you prepare your grill this season. Don’t just go for the meats, add some vegetables and fruits to your grill and gain some new skills and flavors!

Psst… Delicious recipes will be coming your way over the coming weekends ;-)

To your creative success ;-)
Your happy WAHM, Stephanie Gilbert

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