crowd-pleasing grilled vegetables
Healthy and flavorful, a welcome addition to your buffet table.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds asparagus, tough ends trimmed
- 3 medium red peppers, cut in wide strips
- 2 medium zucchini, cut in diagonal slices
- 2 small italian eggplant, cut in diagonal slices
- 8 large portabella mushrooms, stems removed
- 3 small red onions, thickly sliced
- extra virgin olive oil
- good quality aged balsamic vinegar
- coarse kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large head curly lettuce (if arranging on platter)
- 8 ounces fresh mozzarella, sliced (optional)
- sun-dried tomatoes (optional)
- fresh basil, for garnish
Instructions
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Preheat grill to medium heat.
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Rinse and dry all vegetables except the mushrooms before preparing. For the portabella mushrooms, wipe off excess dirt with a dampened paper towel. Spread the prepped veggies on a large rimmed baking sheet. Using a basting brush, coat all sides with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
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Mix 2 parts extra virgin olive oil with 1 part balsamic vinegar in a cup for grill-side brushing.
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In batches, place the vegetables on the grill in a single layer. Once charring is noted, flip over to grill the other side. Brush lightly with the oil and vinegar mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. The second side will require less time to achieve a good char. The exact timing will fluctuate with each variety.
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When ready, remove from the grill and spread them out on a clean pan(s). Once cooled, cover lightly and place in refrigerator until ready to serve.
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Can be served at room temperature or slightly warmed in a low oven for several minutes.
Recipe Notes
For presentation, cover a very large platter completely with curly-edged lettuce. Starting at each corner, arrange grilled vegetables artfully toward the center of the dish. If desired, add sliced fresh mozzarella and sun-dried tomatoes. Garnish platter with fresh basil.
If adding sun-dried tomatoes to the platter, you can find the recipe here.