Like vegetables? Even if you don’t so much, preparing them this way may persuade you to eat them more, because it’s totally up to you exactly which veggies and fresh herbs to choose, and there’s no measuring!

Russ and I have been grilling a fresh vegetable medley, three out of four seasons, for years. Not only is it extremely healthy for you, and tasty to boot, but you can round up any that are starting to be questionable, or if you have dribs and drabs that would otherwise get thrown out (hopefully into your compost bin.) Plus we enjoy discovering new varieties such as the mini-oblong eggplant and tiny green-yellow bell peppers used this time.

Our medley included vidalia onion, shallot, red bell peppers, mini green bell peppers, summer squash, eggplant, garlic cloves, rosemary and thyme.

One of our favorite additions is incorporating cloves of fresh garlic. Make sure to smash them slightly with the flat blade of a chef’s knife to infuse their flavor onto the rest of the participants. In the end, they caramelize adding a soft, mellow flavor to the overall dish.

The cut veggies are added to a ziploc bag.

Once the oil, herbs and spices are added, seal the bag and toss around.

Once you’ve cut them down to bite-size pieces, add them to a ziploc bag, pour in 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (or a good flavored one of choice), sprinkle in your minced herbs, and add about 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and a 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Zip up the bag, toss around for several seconds to coat everything evenly. It’s best to let them marinate between 1-4 hours—any longer could compromise the integrity of some vegetables. If marinating longer than one hour, put in your frig until a 1/2 hour prior to grilling.

Use a grill basket to keep the vegetables corralled. 

Turn on the burners on one side of the grill, placing your basket over the indirect heat side. Cover with grill lid, and turn every ten minutes or so for about 30-40 minutes, depending on which vegetables you are cooking. Once they seem soft enough, move over above the direct heat, turning every couple of minutes until you get the desired char. If you want to add cherry or grape tomatoes, don’t incorporate them into the mix until you move the basket over direct flames.

The veggies are perfect once you see this slight char all over the medley. Move from grill basket to serving dish.

Some other vegetables to try in the medley:

• Mushrooms (any kind)
• Peppers (any kind)
• Zucchini
• Asparagus
• Greeb Beans
• Scallions
• Butternut/Acorn Squash
• Pattypan Squash
• Fennel (sliced thin)
• Fingerling potatoes, sliced in half (you should microwave these first for a few minutes)

With a few slices of grilled flank steak, this made a perfect lo-carb meal.

So go ahead and experiment, just make sure you use a variety of colors, after all, we eat with our eyes first!