Cook Your Veggies to Perfection

Jul 10, 2023


With so many options on what to cook, grill, and serve, your opportunity for a delicious summer meal is right around the corner! Whether you’re looking for a tasty side dish or an appetizing combo for kebobs, vegetables are the perfect choice to complete an epic summer cookout. 
        
         Keep reading for helpful tips on how to utilize your grill to make the best of your summer vegetables.
 
Preparing your veggies
Along with common preparation tips like washing, peeling, and chopping your veggies, you can also try parboiling and marinating your vegetables to take your grilling game to the next level. Parboiling helps keep your veggies from getting mushy and works best with high starch vegetables such as sweet potatoes and broccoli. To parboil, bring a pot of water to a boil and place your vegetables in it for one minute before continuing the grilling process. Like meats, vegetables can also benefit from marinating. Choose your favorite dressing, seasoning, or flavor combo and let your veggies sit for anywhere from an hour to overnight for a rich, flavorful taste.
        
Grilling your veggies
While all veggies cook differently, a good starting place is to grill on medium heat, checking them every five minutes until they are tender and lightly charred. If you are looking to add some sweetness, you can caramelize your veggies by preparing a pan over medium heat with butter and salt and cooking your vegetables slowly. If you have leftovers and decide to reheat your vegetable dish, there are a variety of options. You can keep it simple by popping them in the microwave or using a little olive oil in a pan over low heat. You can also throw them in the oven between 200° to 250°F and cover them with foil to prevent them from drying out.
 
Grilling accessories
There is nothing worse than watching your perfectly chopped vegetables fall through your grill grate into the flames. To avoid this tragedy, consider using a grill basket. A grilling basket is a wire container made of large-weave mesh that can catch small pieces of vegetables. Grill baskets are a good choice for beginners and experts alike - they are easy to store, clean, and use. Make sure to coat it with olive oil or vegetable oil for easy and quick clean-up.
 
To grill or not to grill
With so many veggies to choose from, it can be difficult to pick out the best ones for your cookout. However, some vegetables do grill better than others. For example, it is best to avoid veggies with higher water content, like celery, cucumbers, or leafy greens. On the other hand, bell peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, and corn are all wonderful, easy options to throw on your grill for tasty results!
 
         Stop by your local Co-op to explore a variety of grilling supplies — utensils, thermometers, charcoal, propane, and even the grill itself! Find the nearest location here.
 
For more content like this, check out the latest issue of The Cooperator.

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