Veggies,
   Meet
    Fire


Jim Dixon  




























Illustration: Adam Powell

















 





Ever since our furry forefathers first put food to fire, meat has been the
mainstay of outdoor cooking. But vegetables cooked over coals acquire an exquisite
smoky, savory taste. The intense heat sears the outside, and the vegetables
cook in their own juices.


It takes some practice to grill vegetables successfully. Start the fire
well before dinner time. Grilling requires coals completely covered with
gray ash, a state acquired about a half-hour from ignition. Don't use
water. Spraying only kicks up ash and puts the fire out. Make sure the
coals are spread out in an even layer.




















 
Since grilling is fast work - typically 10-15 minutes on the heat - it's
best to plan your meal to include several grilled dishes and rotate the
foods on and off the heat. Provide a section on the grill away from the
direct heat to keep cooked food warm.

 
A good source of advice is Kelly McCune's Vegetables on the Grill (Harper
Perennial). The large-format paperback features lots of rich color
photography that almost smells as good as it looks. McCune divides the book
into sections on tools and techniques, recipes and menus, and a glossary of
more than 60 different nonmeat foods suitable for the barbecue.

 
It's McCune's glossary that makes this book a valuable addition to the
griller's library. Entries include such information as seasonal availability,
what to look for when shopping, how to prepare the vegetable for the grill,
and the best methods for cooking over coals.

 
In his book The Origin of Table Manners, French
anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss said that cooking is the means "by
which nature is transformed into culture." He goes on to note that
cooking by fire leaves only the thinnest wall between civilization and
the natural world.





































  

Here are a few of the tastier bricks in my thin wall:

 
Eggplant 

Choose firm, glossy eggplant. Slice the large Italian ones into
3/8-inch thick rounds; cut the smaller Japanese variety in half
lengthwise. Brush with olive oil and grill until they start to brown,
about 5 minutes a side depending on how hot the coals are. Drizzle with
balsamic vinegar or serve with an Italian salsa verde (chop fresh
garlic, fresh basil, fresh parsley, and fresh tomatoes; add salt and
drizzle with olive oil).




















 
   

Bruschetta

Okay, it's not a vegetable, but this Italian toast is the perfect
compliment to verdura grigliata.
Grill slices of Tuscan bread until lightly toasted. Rub one side with a
whole clove of peeled garlic. Drizzle (or brush-the name is from the
Italian bruscare, to brush) with olive oil, add a grind of pepper, some
coarse salt, and eat. Or top with almost anything (go to a bookstore and
thumb through Italian cookbooks for ideas). 

 
Mushrooms 

Choose large caps of your basic brown mushrooms (actually called crimini),
preferably with short stems. Toss in a bowl with olive oil. To cook,
either:

1. Thread on metal or wooden skewers

2. Spread loosely over grill (this presents danger of loosing a few through
the cracks)

3. Buy what looks like an angular, perforated wok (similar units without
sides are also available, but they don't work nearly as well), pour in
the shrooms, and stir-grill over hot coals. This method works well for 
smaller vegetables, such as green beans, baby potatoes, or green onions.


You can grill large porcini or portobello caps whole: brush with olive
oil and throw them on the grill. These wild mushrooms are usually
expensive but worth it.































  












Jicama

This bulbous root develops an interesting flavor when grilled. Peel, cut
into 2-inch cubes, thread onto skewers, and grill until tender.

 
Onions
 
Walla walla sweets work best, but they're only available for a couple of
weeks each summer. Choose large yellow onions. Leave them whole and
unpeeled, and put them near the edge, not directly over the coals. Cook
for about 30 minutes. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.


 

















Peppers

Red and yellow peppers (which are only green peppers allowed to fully ripen) are
sweeter than the green ones. Cut off the tops, remove seeds and white membrane,
cut into long strips about 2 inches wide. Grill about three minutes on each
side, until grill marks show. You can also leave them whole and grill until completely
blackened - this is technically called roasting, but why quibble? Put the hot
peppers in a plastic produce bag while they cool for 10-15 minutes, then
peel off the blackened crust (it comes off easily, but it's messy). Split
open and remove seeds. Eat as antipasto with oil and vinegar or use in any
recipe that calls for roasted red pepper.







































So, the next time you grill, don't forget about the vegetables.  The smoky flavor a grill can impart will leave your mouth watering for more than just meat.




















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