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JeanMarie Brownson: This fall, dive in to an oh-so-versatile grilled vegetable medley

JeanMarie Brownson, Tribune Content Agency on

A full refrigerator gives me peace of mind. Friends tease when they see all the filled storage containers neatly stacked inside. On any given day, the containers hold cooked grains, roasted meat, grilled fish, hard-cooked eggs, crumbled cheese and cooked vegetables. As much as I enjoy cooking, many days, I’d rather assemble a meal from those containers.

A medley of mixed grilled vegetables is one of my go-to fall standards. I take advantage of the perfect eggplant, zucchini and pepper specimens at the market and fill my grill with them. Thickly sliced, and lightly seasoned with olive oil, salt and herbs, the mixture proves extremely versatile. Chopped ripe tomatoes, fresh lemon and fennel fronds added at the last minute keeps it from tasting heavy.

Serve the mixture warm as a side dish to grilled or roasted chicken or pork. For a meatless main, fold chunks of feta cheese and pitted green and Kalamata olives into the warm vegetables.

For a main-course rice bowl, pile the warm vegetable mixture over hot cooked brown rice and top with a fried egg. Or, stir in 2 or 3 cups of cooked pasta for a warm pasta salad. Stir 1/2 to 1 cup of the vegetables into eggs near the end of their scrambling. Tuck the warm vegetables into warm pita pockets or wrap in hot flour tortillas for a meatless lunch dish; just add hot sauce and/or diced avocado.

If you don’t care for eggplants, substitute more zucchini or yellow squash. Don’t care for fresh fennel? Use an extra onion or bell pepper.

This recipe doubles easily, just be sure to grill everything in a single, uncrowded layer for nice browning. The finished dish will keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for several days.

 

Mixed Grilled Vegetables with Fennel and Lemon

Makes 4 to 6 servings

1 medium eggplant, about 1pound, trimmed, cut into 3/4-inch round slices

1 medium-large zucchini, trimmed, 10 ounces, cut into 1/2-inch thick slabs

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