Tips for grilling vegetables

All this meat on the grill is all very well, Hugh, but what about the veg?

Hugh Wennerbom

All this meat on the grill is all very well, Hugh, but what about the veg?

Well, asparagus is too easy. Simply lube and season the spears then grill ’em for three or four minutes. If you start them on the char-grill side of the barbie, finish them on the flat plate so you can toss them with chopped garlic 30 seconds or so before they’re done.

Try this method with beans, snow peas and sugar snaps, too, or even bitter leaves such as chicory, kale or radicchio.

For a classic warm salad, grill sliced eggplant, fennel, red capsicum, zucchini, spring onions and cherry tomatoes. Bash some garlic and basil leaves in a mortar, then add olive oil and a dash of Sherry vinegar. (Grill the peppers first so you can rest them, covered, then slip off the skins.) Toss the vegetables together in a bowl, add fresh basil and dress the lot with the basil oil.

Get back on the tongs to grill apricots, peaches, nectarines and mangoes. Butter the hot plate, let it foam a little over a moderate heat, then place the fruit cheeks cut-side down. Drizzle with kithul treacle or maple syrup and serve. A job well done.