Part 5 (2/2)

Grilled asparagus is at once chewy and crispy, savory and sweet.

Prep: Remove rough end of stems. Place in a plastic bag. Add enough olive oil to coat, and a few cloves of minced garlic. Close the bag and rub all over to make sure the asparagus is coated. Let it sit for 10 minutes or a few hours-whenever you are ready to grill. When you are ready to grill, sprinkle with a little bit of coa.r.s.e sea salt.

Grill: Turn every few minutes and brush with olive oil if it looks like it's getting dry. It's ready when the tips to turn slightly charred-but before they turn shriveled-about 5 to 7 minutes.

Bell Peppers

The pepper of choice for the grill is the red bell pepper, for its sweetness and meatiness, but you can go with orange, yellow, or even purple if you can find it. Green bell peppers are simply not quite ripe red bell peppers, so they are a little bitter, but if that's your thing, go for it. To get the most out of your pepper, it's best to blanch it beforehand. Blanching is simply a fancy-pants way of saying boil for a minute or two. In the case of the pepper, blanching will get it softened up and ready to soak up the oil-plus it will make it cook faster on the grill without burning.

Prep: Bring a pot of water to a boil. Carve out the pepper stem with a paring knife. Remove the stem and seeds, and peel out as much of the white stuff on the inside of the skin as you can. Place the peppers in the boiling water for just a minute or two. Remove the peppers with your trusty tongs, drain the insides, and set aside to cool. Cut each pepper in half. Brush each side with olive oil.

Grill: Place skin side down on the grill and flatten with a spatula as much as you can. Let cook until the skin is very charred; depending on the heat of your grill this can take anywhere from 8 to 15 minutes. Once then skin is good and charred, flip the pepper over for just a few more minutes.

We like to get sneaky and cook other kinds of peppers on the grill when n.o.body's looking. Turn your head for just a minute and we've put whole, unpeeled jalapenos or serranos on the grill. Turn them a few times and make sure they get nicely charred and blistered, then sock them away in a covered plastic container. You'll then have roasted chiles on hand to chop up and toss into any salsa, and therefore instantly become a salsa superhero.

Corn

We don't think it's necessary to make a case for corn on the cob, everyone loves it.

Prep: Pull back the husk as far as you can without ripping it off or damaging it. Pull the silk away from the corn and then close the husks back up. Soak the corn in a big pot of water for at least half an hour. The water softens the kernels as well as provides moisture that steams the corn and helps it to cook faster. Push the husks aside and brush the corn with oil and sprinkle with salt. Close the husks back up.

Grill: Place the whole ears on the grill and turn often for about 20 minutes. The corn is ready when the kernels are soft and release moisture if pressed.

P.S. If you're cooking with a campfire, get all outdoorsy and bury prepared, presoaked corn (make sure to keep plenty of the husk on!) in the hot ash and glowing coals of the campfire. Turn the corn once or twice. Depending on how hot your fire is, check the corn after about 10 minutes. Don't forget it or you'll have corn charcoal!

Eggplant

We love grilled eggplant as much as the next guy, but we're the first to admit that it's been much abused by the delis and restaurants of the world in the name of ”vegetarian” food. We've all been there: the only meatless thing on the menu is that grilled vegetable sandwich, usually featuring a huge blob of tasteless, rubbery ”grilled” eggplant. Cast aside those fears; the eggplant grilled at home by you will banish those blues forever.

Eggplant: To Salt or Not to Salt?

WE'VE been fence sitters on this issue for a while, but we've decided to err on the side of caution and tell you to salt the eggplant. Does salting eggplant really leach out the bitterness? Yes, even though eggplant is now bred to be less bitter. On the pro-salt side, the salt really does tenderize the eggplant, so why not take the extra time to do it? So even though we do recommend it, we aren't fascistic in our belief and you can skip this step if you feel like it.

Prep: Eggplant is great sliced in numerous ways; the stylish bias, completely lengthwise for huge eggplant ”steaks,” or the widthwise circular slice. Slices can be a little bit thicker than for summer squash, about inch. Remember to brush liberally with olive oil.

Grill: Grill for 5 to 7 minutes, then flip and grill for another 5 to 7. Brush often with oil as eggplant loves to drink that stuff up and tends to stick to the grill easier than do other veggies.

Leeks

Adventurous types might enjoy throwing whole leeks on the grill. They have a great onion flavor and chewy texture that is fun and satisfying to eat.

Prep: Trim both ends of each leek, then slice-starting from the green end-to about halfway through the white part. Completely cover in water and allow to soak about 5 minutes, shaking to ensure than any sand or grit is washed away from the leeks. Coat liberally with olive oil.

Grill: Grill for 5 to 7 minutes until soft and slightly charred. Sprinkle with salt after they are grilled.

Onions

Onions are excellent additions to your portobello burger or grilled veggie sandwich. We love using large, candy-sweet Vidalia onions but any big, preferably yellow, onion will do.

Prep: Slice off tops, remove the skin and cut into thick slices-a little under an inch should do. Keeping each slice intact, brush with olive oil.

Grill: Grill for 5 to 7 minutes, until soft and slightly charred. Flip often, using the tongs to keep the rings together.

Pineapple PINEAPPLE is not a vegetable, you say (well, neither are tomatoes, but . . .). You haven't lived until you've tasted pineapple fresh off the grill. No, really, maybe you're a vegan zombie looking for BBQ tips or something. Anyway, to the humans out there, freshly sliced pineapple-coated with a little vegetable oil-is totally asking to be grilled, about 3 to 4 minutes each side. The sugars caramelize into a sweet heaven on the outside while the insides remain juicy. Serve warm, either with barbecue sauce-covered items or as a dessert with fresh berries and your favorite soy ice cream.

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