As the weather starts to warm up, I’m usually drawn to my grill. Since moving to Sacramento, I have been overwhelmed by the bounty of beautiful vegetables the valley has to offer. Walking around the Sunday farmer’s market, you can’t help but notice that the vegetables are the star of the show. At Grange we can’t wait for the next season to kick in so we can create some awesome vegetable dishes for our guests. Here are a few pointers on how to cook vegetables at home:
Size: Cut your vegetables into workable pieces, enough to cook quickly and still be a little aldente, but large enough to keep from falling apart while cooking. Slice tomatoes in half, cut corn into 2-inch pieces, slice eggplant, zucchini and yellow squash into 1/4-inch thick slices or rounds, cut bell peppers into thick strips and trim the stems off of mushrooms. Asparagus and scallions can go on whole. If you are using hard vegetables like carrots or sweet potatoes cut them on the thinner side (I use a mandolin).
Season: Toss your vegetables in olive oil and salt and pepper to prep them for the grill. You can also marinade them with chili or balsamic in the oil, whatever floats your boat!
Cook: Place the vegetables directly on the grill, over medium heat. As soon as you see some color from underneath and the grill marks start to appear about 4 mins, flip them once and cook for about another 4-5 minutes, depending on the vegetable (“sturdier” ones take longer).
Dress: You don’t have to, but feel free to dress your vegetables in a vinaigrette or dressing, or maybe a dipping sauce. I love hummus myself. They will taste just fine on their own, but you can also jazz them up!
Presentation: Let the vegetables be the star of the show! Often your table will highlight all the wonderful grilled meats. Use the vibrant colors and shapes to achieve great visual results, and of course flavor!
Enjoy!
-Chef Oliver Ridgeway
