Grilled Vegetable Platter
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Grilling vegetables does something magical to them. They go from ordinary to extraordinary with just a few simple steps. Add a simple vinaigrette to them brings them up a notch more. A simple dressing is all they need but this is a place to get creative with this recipe. Combine whatever vinegar and/or other acid with some extra virgin olive oil and any herb combination you desire. Here we used a lemon flavored white balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, and garlic with parsley, marjoram and cilantro with our extra virgin olive oil. These vegetables make great cold leftovers too, so don’t worry too much about the amount!
MAKES: 6 Servings
PREP/COOK TIME: 40 Minutes
INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
1 zucchini sliced lengthwise about 1/4 inch thick
1 medium yellow squash sliced lengthwise about 1/4 inch thick
1 medium eggplant cut into 1/2 inch rounds
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut lengthwise into quarters
4 large portobello mushrooms, gills removed (see notes)
1 large red onion, quartered
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon lemon white balsamic vinegar (see notes)
2 tablespoons lemon juice, or more to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup Italian parsley leaves (packed)
1/2 cup cilantro leaves (packed)
1/4 cup marjoram leaves (packed)
DIRECTIONS
Prepare all the vegetables as described above and place them in a rimmed baking sheet or two if needed to fit them all. Lightly brush all the vegetables with 1/4 cup of the olive oil. You may need less oil than this. Save the rest for the dressing if needed. Season lightly with salt and pepper.
Heat your grill or grill pan to medium high. Grill all the vegetables until well charred on both sides and tender.
Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. Combine the vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, freshly ground black pepper. Gradually whisk in 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Add the parsley, cilantro and marjoram. If dressing is too thick, add a little more olive oil and/or lemon juice to taste.
When all the vegetables are grilled, cut them into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add some of the dressing to the vegetables and stir gently to coat. Taste to see if more dressing or salt and pepper is needed. You may have more dressing than you need. Save for a salad or marinade.
Transfer grilled vegetables to a large platter and serve.
Notes: For removing the gills of the portobello mushrooms, take a spoon and lightly scrape the gills from the underside of the mushroom. The reason for doing this is that the gills tend to burn easily.
We purchased the lemon white balsamic vinegar from the Cave Creek Olive Oil Company in Cave Creek, Arizona (https://cavecreekoliveoil.com/). If you have a specialty olive oil store in your area, you may be able to find a similar vinegar. Otherwise substitute a white or dark balsamic vinegar of your choice and add more lemon juice if you desire.
