New Cookbook Shows How to Grill Fruits and Vegetables

The Gardener & The Grill: The Bounty of the Garden Meets the Sizzle of the Grill by Karen Adler & Judith Fertig (Running Press, $20)
The art has grilling is one of our most popular and enjoyable ways to cook, especially during the hot summers of Arizona. Most of us think of meat when we consider a meal made on the grill but this delightful new cookbook will help us expand our culinary possibilities to include grilled fruits and vegetables.
Karen Adler and Judith Fertig, both based in Kansas City, are experts on grilling and in their new book they share many of their favorite recipes. In addition to specialty grilling techniques, the chapters include Pantry; Appetizers; Sandwiches, Flatbreads & Pizzas; Soups & Salads; Meat, Poultry & Fish; Vegetable Sides; Fruits and Desserts. Most of the recipes emphasize the rewards of a family garden or visit to a local farmers’ market.
As the authors state in their introduction, their cookbook focuses on sustainability, freshness, taste, color, and texture. They add that grilling from the garden gives family cooks twice the sense of accomplishments – first from growing your own food, and secondly, from making it taste so good. Nothing gets any fresher than produce locally grown, whether it be from the garden or the market.
I tested three recipes. I began with the “Grill-Roasted Tomatillo Salsa” which was so tasty, I made a second batch a week later. Tomatillos are sharp and have a citrus taste which gives this salsa an extra zing. The hot weather prompted me to prepare “Grilled Gazpacho.” When was the last time you made gazpacho on the grill? My third pick was “Grilled Peaches with Lemon Balm Gremolata,” simple yet flavorful. I already had a pots of lemon balm and mint growing on my patio so in addition to a lemon I borrowed from a neighbor the only things I had to purchase for this last recipe was four peaches.
This is a fun cookbook. As more and more of us discover the flexibility of our patio grills, cookbooks like this one will become our kitchen BFFs. Fire up the grill, grab some tongs and enjoy!
GRILLED PEACHES with LEOMON BALM GREMOLATA
¼ c packed lemon balm leaves
1 tablespoon packed mint leaves
½ teaspoon lemon zest
Pinch sea salt or kosher salt
4 peaches, halved and pitted
+++
Prepare a medium-got fire in your grill.
Chop the lemon balm, mint, and lemon zest together until very fine. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the leaves and chop again. Set aside in a small bowl.
Place the peach halves cut side down on the grill. Grill for 4 to 6 minutes, turning once, until the peaches are tender and blistered.
To serve, place two peach halves in each bowl and sprinkle with the Lemon Balm Gremolata over all.