Local Produce On The Grill

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The grill has often been a place of mystery for me.  However, last year, I started to work through my apprehension and bought an electric grill.  Why electric you ask – well, per my apartment’s housing rules in Altamonte, due to a nasty 4 alarm fire that we had there was a ban on any charcoal or gas grills.  Luckily for me, my new apartment in Philly has the same rules.  I went with the large Foreman grill based on the rave reviews from Sarah of Pink Shoe Diaries and Pink Shoe Cookbook and have been pleased with the purchase.  So, I figured that rather than heat up the house with the oven or stove during this horrid Philly heat wave, I figured there was no better time than the present to improve my grill skills. 

I saw some amazing local produce at Maple Acres Farms in Plymouth Meeting and thought I’d experiment with grilling the vegetables.  Grilling these veggies (with my beloved mojo de ajo, of course – you can also use great olive oil) added a nice smoky flavor that had me wondering why I haven’t tried this before.  So, when you are out scouring the local farmer’s market, think about how much fun you can have grilling your veggies.  Your family and friends will love it!

Grilled Veggie Salad

Ingredients:

• 1 small container of cherry tomatoes
• 2 ears of corn with husks, silks removed
• 4-5 spring onions
• 1 jalapeño
• 3 tbsp. Mojo de Ajo (or Extra Virgin Olive Oil), plus more for grilling
• 1 lime
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the grill to a medium high heat.
2. Wash and clean the produce, paying careful attention to the corn to ensure that the silks are removed from the ears.
3. Toss the tomatoes with 1 tbsp. of the oil.
4. Brush the grill with some of the oil.
5. Place the vegetables the grill, turning when they start to char.
6. Once cooked, remove from grill and allow to cool for a few minutes.
7. Remove the husks from the corn and slice off the kernels.
8. Chop the green onions, removing the root end and tops.
9. Add the cherry tomatoes (you can halve the larger ones if you wish)
10. Remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeño.  Chop finely.
11. Add the juice and zest of the lime.
12. Add the remaining oil and toss.

Enjoy!

Look at these tomatoes.  Aren’t they beautiful?

The corn and the spring onions were just so fresh

Look at those grill marks – let me channel my inner Anne Burrell and say that grill marks mean flavor

The final product – fresh, flavorful and fast!