Try grilled summer produce for a twist
While grilling is typically associated with meat, incorporating fresh fruits and veggies can offer a unique twist. A wide array of produce paired with sauces, spice rubs, and marinades will overflow your table with delicious additions to your grilling repertoire.
During these warm summer months, you may harvest various fruits and vegetables from your garden or visit a local farmers market for fresh produce. Are you tired of eating and preparing your produce the same way? Have you ever tried grilling fruits and vegetables?
The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans report that most Americans do not consume enough fruits and vegetables. A healthy adult eating pattern includes 2½ cups of vegetables and 2 cups of fruits daily. To learn the right amounts for you, try the personalized MyPlate Plan at https://www.myplate.gov/myplate-plan.
Health Benefits
Fruits and vegetables contain essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Grilling them can help preserve these nutrients. They are low in calories and fat, making them an excellent food choice for a healthy diet. You reduce their calorie and fat content by grilling these foods instead of frying.
Veggies
When grilling, select different types of vegetables, such as dark green, red, orange, starchy, and non-starchy. Some of the best vegetables for grilling include artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, corn, eggplant, mushrooms, okra, onion, potato, romaine lettuce, summer squash, sweet and hot peppers, tomato, and zucchini.
Fruit
A wide variety of fruits are great on the grill, but generally, you want to use firmer varieties. Try apples, apricots, citrus, figs, kiwis, mangos, melons, nectarine, peaches, pears, plums, pineapple, and strawberries.
Tips
Grilling fruit and vegetables is easy, but different items have different characteristics. Grilled fruits and vegetables often have a unique, smoky flavor that can make them more appealing. To help you get started, follow these few guidelines when prepping to grill these ingredients:
• Many veggies and fruits use direct heat, but some will require more time over indirect heat to cook, so prepare your grill with direct and indirect heat zones.
• Before cooking, clean the grill well. Preheat it; use moderate heat and avoid flames.
• To prevent sticking, brush the fruit or veggies with oil after slicing or oil the grill grates before adding the food. This also makes it easily flipped without breaking apart.
• Select fruit that is firm and not too ripe.
• Most fruits can be cut in half. Other fruits like apples or melons must be cored, peeled, and cut into large slices. Grill halved fruit with flesh-side-down to create gorgeous grill marks.
• To prevent pieces from falling through the grill grate and avoid extra time flipping numerous pieces, cut vegetables into the largest possible pieces. For example, cut zucchini into slices along the length of the vegetable rather than slicing it into small rounds. In addition, the more surface area you give your vegetables for grill marks, the more flavor you will get.
• To allow the most surface area and contact with the cooking grates, cut and flatten the produce. For produce with skin, once cut, place the cut side of the fruit or vegetable on the grill.
• Marinate produce in the refrigerator for 10 to 20 minutes for the best flavor.
• Instead of using a fork, use tongs when flipping food so the skin is not punctured.
• Smaller items may require equipment like a grill basket or griddle plate.
• Larger and denser veggies require precooking or more time with indirect heat. This can be done by boiling, steaming, or microwaving until the produce is barely tender. Corn doesn’t always cook through on the grill. Blanch it in boiling water for a few minutes first, then grill for 5 to 10 minutes to add a smoky flavor and finish cooking.
The internet is an excellent resource for recipes to help you get started experimenting with grilled produce. Add veggies and fruits to the menu next time you fire up your grill. Impress your family and friends with new, creative grilling skills.
Grilling is an art and brings out the natural sweetness and flavor of fruits and vegetables. Don’t miss out on the bounty of summer produce that gets even better on the grill!
Grilled Vegetable Marinade
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon each dried basil, parsley, oregano, thyme, or 2 teaspoons mixed or Italian herbs
Optional: 1/2 - 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions:
Place ingredients in a jar and shake well. Set aside for 10 minutes.
Marinate raw vegetables in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or cook the produce, place in a dish, and while hot, drizzle with marinade and toss.
(Sources: https://extension.psu.edu; www.dietaryguidelines.gov; https://www.myplate.gov)