Whenever you fire up the grill, DO THIS! After you’ve got a good bed of coals ready and the grill is hot, before the meat goes on, grill the vegetables. The veggies don’t need to be served hot-hot so it’s best to do them first. Use in large quantities:
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Sliced in half lengthwise:
Zucchini or eggplant, summer squash, patty pan squash, small onions, baby turnips, firm under-ripe tomatoes, long Asian eggplant, new potatoes, peppers (sweet or hot), leeks, carrots, beets, fennel, etc.
Whole:
Asparagus, scallions, garlic scapes, okra, small under-ripe tomatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, radishes, sprigs of broccoli or cauliflower, celery, cloves of garlic, shiitake mushrooms, etc.
In a large bowl lightly drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the veggies, and salt and pepper them. Turn over and over so they are very lightly coated. Lay them out evenly on the grill and rotate and turn as necessary so that they all get toasted and a tiny bit blackened. Firmer veggies: beets, onions, potatoes, will need slower cooking and a little more time. You get the idea. But don’t worry about “cooking through” for the others, here’s why. When the veggies are browned and a tiny blackened throw them back in the bowl, drizzle with more of your good extra virgin olive oil, and >>quickly cover, pushing a sheet of foil over them tightly. They’ll continue to cook and soften from the residual heat and they’ll absorb the lovely flavors of the charring and the e.v.o.o. Pick one or more veggies to serve with the pillows below (or anything else for that matter—leftovers are great cold on sandwiches or in salads, so do lots!).