Tips for Grilling Fruits and Vegetables

Summer is grill season and the perfect chance to expand what you normally cook to include fruits and vegetables. The direct heat radiating from a hot grill takes advantage of natural sugars and starches in many fruits and vegetables to create intense flavors and rich colors.

Fruit – especially under-ripe fruit – is delicious when grilled, and even better when a bit of sugar is added to the fruit to create a wonderfully crisp exterior. Use grilled fruit in green salads, mixed with grains and nuts, as a part of any dessert preparation and even as an interesting and refreshing twist to your favorite summer drink.

Most vegetables can be grilled without any seasoning or oil, making preparation as simple as turning on your grill and putting the vegetables on the hot grates. A light seasoning or bath in a herb-infused marinade after grilling helps turn grilled vegetables into a fantastic summer bonus.

Some vegetables are obvious choices for the grill: corn, mushrooms and eggplant for example. But the summer is filled with interesting options to consider. For example, thinly sliced fennel, whole young carrots, peppers of any kind, green tomatoes, asparagus and onions are all wonderful when grilled.

I enjoy grilled vegetables served hot or at room temperature with just about anything your mind creates. Use grilled vegetables with grain dishes, salads, soups or snacks with an aromatic dip. I also enjoy splashing a bit of extra virgin olive oil on grilled vegetables, along with a squeeze of lemon juice and some freshly cut herbs.

Here are my 7 tips to help you perfect your fruit and vegetable grilling technique:

1. To prevent sticking, make sure your grill is hot and the grates are clean and well-oiled. Use a half onion or potato dipped in oil with a long fork to quickly oil the grates just before adding your fruit and vegetable.
2. Avoid oiling your fruits and vegetables – or simply use a light coating. The high heat from the grill will burn the fat and create harmful properties and a bitter taste.
3. Be patient in your cooking. Moving fruits and vegetables too early on the grill will remove the tasty surface. The fruit or vegetable will release naturally when a nice grill mark is created.
4. Cut vegetable and fruit pieces large enough so they won’t fall through the grate. Most vegetables can be grilled whole or halved. Fruits are mostly halved. Use skewers (make sure to soak bamboo skewers first) for smaller pieces.
5. Apply any sauce or coating toward the end of cooking so it has enough time to glaze but not burn.
6. Fruits can be dipped in sugar or soaked in a sugar syrup before grilling (try flavoring the syrup with herbs or tea). The added sugar will caramelize on the surface and create a delicious flavor while protecting against moisture loss.
7. Always cool fruit and vegetables slightly before eating. The caramelized sugars and internal moisture will be very, very hot and you could burn your mouth.