Grated rind of 1/2 lemon

1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1. Preheat a gas grill to medium heat or prepare a charcoal grill until coals are covered with gray ash. Heat the grill grate for 5 minutes.

2. Put eggplant, zucchini, onion slices, chiles, bell pepper and fennel on a large baking sheet and coat all sides with oil. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and about 1 teaspoon salt.

3. Arrange vegetables on grill in a single uncrowded layer. Cover grill and cook, turning vegetables occasionally, until golden on all sides. Timing is as follows: 8 to 10 minutes for eggplant and zucchini slices and 15 minutes for whole chiles, bell pepper and onion slices. Remove vegetables as they are cooked to the baking sheet.

4. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add garlic and chopped tomatoes. Stir in chopped fresh fennel fronds, lemon rind and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt. Serve warm or at room temperature.

(JeanMarie Brownson is a James Beard Award-winning author and the recipient of the IACP Cookbook Award for her latest cookbook, “Dinner at Home.” JeanMarie, a chef and authority on home cooking, Mexican cooking and specialty food, is one of the founding partners of Frontera Foods. She co-authored three cookbooks with chef Rick Bayless, including “Mexico: One Plate at a Time.” JeanMarie has enjoyed developing recipes and writing about food, travel and dining for more than four decades.)

©2022 JeanMarie Brownson. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.