What with searing heat and monsoon storms, the farmer's markets have been a little off. But that doesn't mean that fresh produce has taken the month off. No, there's plenty of great summer vegetables available just in time for the end-of-summer grilling parties.
So what do you do with those vegetables besides skewer them into kabobs and brush them with olive oil? If you don't want to stray too far from the classics, try some of the great flavored oils available. Whether you get ginger oil to go with grilled chicken teriyaki, garlic oil to enhance to your steak, or chili oil next to pork spareribs, you can find something to perk up the side-dish veggies on your grill. There are even herb-flavored oils to go with all of the above.
You probably have a recipe for a basic veggie marinade, but if not here's an easy one:
1 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
2 bulbs of shallot, sliced thin
Fresh herbs, minced (basil, tarragon, chives, rosemary, as you like)
Mix the ingredients together in a large bowl and add cut vegetables, stirring to coat. Let sit in the refrigerator overnight or at least two hours. Drain veggies and grill as usual.
You can grill cob corn or baking potatoes by brushing with a little oil and wrapping them in foil to place on the coals first thing. Remember to turn the packets.
Grill dessert too? Sure, with the fruit still available. Slice the top and a bit of the bottom from a pineapple and cut the body into thick rings. Cut a smallish watermelon into thick slices. Set the fruit on the grill until it's got a little caramelization and grill marks. But be careful; the sugar in fruit makes this a fast process. Serve with a little artisan vanilla ice cream from Sweet Republic. Go ahead! It's Labor Day we're celebrating after all, and we deserve a little treat for working so hard!
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