Grilling Vegetables

Even if the first and last think you would think of, when mentioning a barbecue, is wonderful cuts of meat (with the possible exception of marshmellows), I donnot think any open fire excess is complete without some vegetables. And don't worry: I am not going to discuss your health, though I personally do enjoy the alleviation from vegetables when my stomach is churning on the exigent animal proteins and fat. It is the lightness and variation, the endless palate of subtle sweets, sours and little bitters that complete for me a nice and sunny, out-door meal. The beauty is that you can cook it all on the very same fire, or even on the cooler edges of your grill that are useless for cooking any T-bone of importance.

What I'm proposing below is worthwhile, though far from spectacular. It is also Mediterranean, not only in the use of ingredients and flavors, but also in its culinary approach, I believe. That is, the various dishes are all directed, not to the creation of 'something new', but towards the discovery of the flavour that was always there. Call it sublimination, if you like, or aha-erlebnis, your grill is the most fabulous tool for pure tastes immaginable.

A good sprinkling of salt will help your vegetables to cook better on the irons, as will a drop of (olive-)oil.

Prepare the following garnishings for the specified vegetables:

Zucchini: Extravirgin olive oil, lemon juice, chopped (flat) parseley, a crushed clove of garlic, ground black pepper.

Eggplant: Extravirgin olive oil, a drop of balsamic vinegar, coarseley chopped mint leaves, a crushed clove of garlic, ground black pepper.

Bell pepper: For the red type use extravirgin olive oil, a drop of red wine vinegar, a crushed habanero or other pepper, crushed basil leaves, and a crushed clove of garlic.

Pumpkin: Extravirgin olive oil, lime juice, ground green peppercorns, a bit of chopped tarragon.

Chicory: For these bitter beauties I'd use nothing but olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and black

Radicchio: pepper.

A grilled tomato attains perfection for me with just a bit of olive oil and salt. Just make sure to puncture them once or twice before laying them on the grill, or they might explode.