The Best Barbecued Veggies
A combination of peppers, onion and courgettes have been skewered and cooked over the coals.
While many people consider a barbecue to be primarily a good way to cook meat outdoors, there are many delicious ways of char-roasting veggies on the barbie.
The Best Veg for a Barbecue
Any vegetable that can be successfully oven roasted is good for a barbecue. They include some of the favourites that are commonly found in home gardens, including various peppers, courgettes (or baby marrow), aubergines (eggplants) and of course potatoes, onions and sweetcorn. Tomatoes may also be char-grilled, but not for too long.
Secrets of Successful Grilled Veggies
Without a doubt, it is the spice and splashes of other ingredients including olive oil and balsamic vinegar that will give your vegetables that special flavour that will have everyone coming back for more. The other skill is to ensure that they don’t become too black and charred. All you need is a touch of sizzle to add that lovely smoky taste and to give the food an authentic barbecued look. And NEVER overcook your vegetables otherwise they will lose their flavor.
Five Favourite Barbecue Recipes for Veggies
All these recipes are quick and easy, and are for one specific type of veg. Use your imagine to combine vegetables using some of the delicious spicy elements for both preparation of the food and for cooking.
1. Char-grilled Red Onions
Trim the tops and bottoms of at least two big red onions, peel, and then slice into 1.5 cm thick rounds. Lay flat and thread onto skewers. Brush both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper; grill over medium coals for about five minutes per side. Drizzle the cooked onion with a little extra oil and vinegar and fresh thyme leaves.
2. Char-roast Yellow Onions with Rosemary
Cut onions in half from the root end. Trim and peel without removing the root end. Sprinkle with red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and chopped fresh rosemary. Cook over medium-hot coals for about five minutes on each side.
3. Char-roast Peppers
Start by grilling a mix of different peppers over flaming coals, turning often until the skin is totally charred. Leave to cool and then peel off the charred skin (it will come away very easily). Slice in half and remove the seeds and stems and then slice into 1 cm-long strips. Toss in a dressing made with one tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, three tablespoons olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and ground black pepper. Alternatively make vinaigrette with 150 ml olive oil, two tablespoons tarragon vinegar (or wine vinegar and a sprinkle of dried tarragon), two teaspoons of Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Char-grilled Corn on the Cob
Cook the corn in salted water for a couple of minutes and the refresh by plunging into cold water. Brush with a little melted butter and then grill over medium to hot coals, turning frequently. They should be lightly charred after about five minutes. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a small knob of butter for effect.
5. Char-grilled Tomatoes
Slice four to six just-ripe tomatoes in half and grill skin-side down on medium coals until very lightly charred. Turn after about three minutes. Sprinkle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
Annette Welsford has a partial degree in Horticulture and a Post Graduate Certificate in marketing. Having lived in the cold, temperate and hot parts of Australia and the UK, she has gained experience over the years with gardening in a variety of climates. Annette also worked for a fertilizer company where she was responsible for developing, editing and publishing a range of technical manuals on nutrition and fungal diseases for a wide range of horticultural crops including tomatoes. Annette is Managing Director of Commonsense Marketing Pty Ltd, a publishing and marketing company, responsible for the editing, design and worldwide marketing of the How to Grow books, and other products. Commonsense Marketing also provides expert offline and online marketing consulting and design services to a variety of small to medium sized businesses.
Tags: aubergines, Barbecued Veggies, char-roasting veggies, Corn on the Cob, courgettes, onions, peppers, sweetcorn
