Spring is in the air and that means I'm out of the kitchen and back on the porch with my grill.  It will cook just about anything and grilling vegetables is a great way to bring out sweet, toasty, caramelized flavors that other cooking techniques won't.  Plus, there's very little prep involved.  All you need to do is toss the raw veggies in olive oil, sprinkle them with Kosher salt and get them on the grill.   Here are a some tips on how to make the most out of your grill:   1.  You can't grill veggies the same way you grill a steak.  A steak needs a very hot grill, whereas vegetables are more delicate and need a more moderate temperature. 2.  Not all vegetables are suitable for grilling.  For example, potatoes will take an hour and peas will fall through the cracks. 3.  Choose vegetables that have a decent water content like summer squash, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onions, mushrooms, bell peppers and eggplant to name a few. 4.  Start with a very clean grill, since any cooked-on food particles can give your grilled veggies an unpleasant flavor. 5.  A buildup of smoke can also make your veggies taste bad, you should grill vegetables uncovered. 6.  Rotate and flip often.  A little blackened flavor is good, burnt is bad!

MY GIFT TO YOU!  Although I am a home cook, I try to think a little like a professional when deciding what to make for dinner.  That means I think, "what do I feel like having and what needs to be used up?"  This past week, I had some amazing vegetables to choose from that were left over from a trip to a Farmer's Market last weekend.  If you don't have these vegetables on hand just use what you do have. Chances are, they will taste amazing and grilling them only makes it better.  I paired my vegetables with some chicken and pan sauted butter beans. Ingredients: -2 baby bok choy heads, split in half or substitute mature bok choy cut into 2 inch vertical slivers root to tip -1 head of broccoli -2 cipollini onions or 1 small sweet onion cut in half -1 TBSP anchovy paste or filets of anchovy chopped -1 TBSP fresh rosemary, chopped -salt and fresh cracked black pepper Directions: Add the anchovy paste, salt and pepper (about a TSP of salt and 10 turns of a pepper mill) and oil to the bottom of a large bowl and stir well.  Toss in the vegetables to coat with oil mixture.  Meanwhile, heat your grill to medium high, clean well with a wire brush and add the vegetables.  Using long tongs, turn you vegetables and rotate around the grill every 3 to 4 minutes.  The vegetables will be done in about 8 to 10 minutes.

Kelly Bowlin Administration Director & BAC Foodie :)  Bay Athletic Club 989.356.5600