Nothing tastes better than grilled vegetables. Nothing! These are one of the best ways I know to encourage mass vegetable consumption. The smoky charred aroma of your grill is always a crowd-pleaser.

Yield: Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients

a few bell peppers, red, green or yellow
a zucchini or two
a yellow squash or two
an eggplant
a few large onions
a handful or two asparagus, woody ends trimmed
a few splashes olive oil
lots sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Procedure

Preheat your grill to its highest setting.

Meanwhile, slice the bell peppers in half, then scoop out and discard their stem and seeds.

Trim the stem end off the zucchini and squash and cut them in half lengthwise.

Cut the eggplant into 3 or 4 slices lengthwise.

Peel the onion, then cut it into 3 or 4 thick slices trying not to let them come apart.

Trim the woody ends of the asparagus.

Splash the vegetables with olive oil, and rub them by hand to coat them evenly. Take care not to undo the onion rings; they’re much easier to handle if they stay nested. Season everything with lots of salt and pepper.

Carefully place the vegetables on your grill. Close the lid and wait a few minutes. When the vegetables begin to soften and char, flip them. Each vegetable will cook at its own pace so you’ll need to keep an eye on things.

As the vegetables cook through, remove them from the grill. Stack them neatly on a cutting board, and cut them into smaller bite-sized pieces.

Toss everything together and serve immediately.

Variation

Try tossing the just-grilled vegetables with a few handfuls of whole fresh basil leaves, a few spoonfuls of Basil Pesto or black olive tapenade.