Grilling Spring and Summertime Vegetables
 
Spring and summertime vegetables like peppers, zucchini and asparagus are all great raw. They’re crispy, juicy and in the summer have the perfect flavor without any added seasoning. These veggies are healthful whether eaten as crudités or in a salad. But what about changing things up; this summer, what about  cooking up these summertime treats right on the grill with your burgers, dogs and sausage?
 
1. Wash and prep vegetables
Many vegetables just need to be rinsed and patted dry. If your vegetables are very dirty (visible dirt even after rinsing), fill a light-colored bowl with tap water and gently submerge the vegetables. The dirt and sediment will sink to the bottom of the bowl. Remove vegetables and discard water. Repeat until there is no more dirt coming from your veggies and sinking to the bottom of the bowl.

Many summertime vegetables do not need much prepping so skip the peeler and paring knife and eat as is. The skins and rinds add texture, flavor and nutrients.

2. Chop
Depending on how you and your family want to eat your grilled vegetables, will determine how you want to cut them. Cutting the vegetables into planks will allow you to grill across the BBQ grate and these larger pieces of vegetable will hold on to any sauces or marinades that you add during the grilling process.

Cutting smaller chunks (about 1 inch x 1 inch) of vegetables is always a great idea; these chunks fit perfectly on a shish kebob stick.! Hint: if you do not have your vegetables contained in a grilling basket or on a skewer, be sure that the pieces are not so small that they can drop through the grate and into the open flame, or charcoal below. Also be sure to cut the vegetables into the same size so that they are done at the same time.

One important step is to coat your veggie planks or skewers with a little bit of oil, or a marinade that contains some oil so that they do not stick to the grill. Most vegetables are more delicate than meat, so keep your eye on your produce so you don’t overcook.
 
3. Wrap it up
Instead of cooking your vegetables over an open flame, try cooking your chopped veggies in an aluminum foil pouch. This is great for vegetables like potatoes, carrots or beets that are a little heartier than other vegetables and may take a long time to cook.

Chop up vegetables; mix in a bowl with a little oil and herbs, or your favorite marinade. The thinner you cut your vegetables the less time grilling in an aluminum foil pouch will take. Another time-saving tip is to fold your aluminum foil pouch into a flat envelope configuration instead of a deep pouch configuration so that your vegetables all receive equal flame time and none are neglected and undercooked because they are buried amongst too many other vegetables.