Grilled Summer Farmer’s Market Vegetables

Ingredients:

• 2 summer squash
• 2 zucchini
• 1 eggplant
• 2 tbsp. olive  oil
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 2 tsp. Red wine vinegar-optional

What seasoning is good on vegetables?

All of the common and favorite herbs can be used with vegetables. Herbs such as oregano, basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary, , Tarragon, coriander, cumin, dill, fresh ginger, garlic, lemongrass(fresh is divine!)  and curry. Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves can also be added to really spice up some vegetables (especially winter squashs in Fall)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Fire up the grill to high heat. Cut the squash and zucchini in half, slice the eggplant into finger-width rounds and cut the cabbage into 1/6s or 1/8s, depending on how large it is (be sure to keep the core intact to hold the cabbage together). 
2. Lay all of the veggies on a sheet pan, drizzle the oil over and season with salt and pepper, and lightly toss them together.  
3. When the grill is hot, carefully place the vegetables on the grill cut side down and close the lid. 
4. Grill for one minute then turn over and close the lid and grill for one-two minutes more (the eggplant may take a little longer to get cooked through). Remove the squash, zucchini, corn and eggplant to a platter  and eat!

BEST GRILLED CORN ON COB!  A MUST IN AUGUST!

It’s summer, which means that not only is your grill hot, but corn is also finally juicy and sweet.  The Dedham Farmers Market has the fresheset corn in town. It is picked that morning and if you want the BEST grilled corn, there is a few easy but important tricks. And, here they are! This takes only few minutes to cook and yet, many folks are intimidated. Stop right now. Because, once you eat this, it will change your life forever! Promise! Please note: there is some FUN work that must be done to get the corn and its husk ready for the grill.  *You are now learning chef secrets.

For grilled corn, you want the freshest corn possible. Ideally , it’s corn that’s at peak season and picked as close to grilling as possible. The color of the kernels matters little, but you want ears that smell sweet, are firm when pressed, and free of blackened tassels, that’s the ideal.  The sugars packed inside those corn kernels become starchier with every minute that goes by after picking. The longer you wait between picking and eating, the less sweet your sweet corn will taste.

Shopping tips: You don’t really need to pull back the husk and check the top kernels of corn when buying them — if the corn feels firm and heavy when you pick it up, that’s all the information you really need. The husk itself should still look fresh and it should hold tightly around the cob. And the vendors appreciate it, as they want to sell each one, as they picked it, packed it, travelled to Market and now: sell it. And whatever is not sold, they take with them. You can also ask them to choose (with Covid, we ask them to choose). If the outer leaves or the leaves around the top of the cob look dry and loose, pick a different ear.

And guess what? Going to the Farmers Market weekly, WE already HAVE THE freshest corn in town. Read all of this before starting, and you are raring to go! And we will go over urban myths of grilling. Questions asked by our customers all summer. Here we go!

Corn Tips: 

1. Soak or not soak? Soaking benefits older or off-season ears, it has no added value for fresh summer corn.  So, I do soak, when the corn has been in my fridge all week OR its off season. I soak for 15 minutes in cold water before grilling. So that answers that.
2. HUSK 101 : Do I leave HUSK on ? Sometimes the husk catches fire and burns the corn’s tips. There is a reason. Here is the answer: Simply trim with scissors the stalk’s tassels and peel back a few layers of the husk, so the grill can get to work faster on the corn. Leave a thin layer of husk on , vs a thick layer of husk on  *Leaving some of the husk intact prevents the corn from drying out on the grill and effectively steams the corn. It also makes peeling and getting rid of the silk easier. So, that is the scoop! (if you want super specifics, read end of article)
3. Char or no char? Want some blackened corn ? Simply pull back a one- or two-inch section of the cob (top of husk area) and grill that section of the ears last.
4. Want Grill marks , but not blackened? :  If you want some grill marks on your corn on the cob,  you can pull off a few of the outer husk leaves, leaving less of a barrier between the outer leaves and the corn cob, for more the charring to reach the corn. But, put the phone down and WATCH the corn!

How to Actually Grill the Corn

1 Prepare your grill, gas or charcoal, for direct, high heat. (About 550°F) * most grills have a temp gauge. For charcoal, when coals are super hot.

2 Grill corn in husks: The corn husks will protect the corn from burning or drying out while it is on the hot grill. (see tips above)

If you want a bit of char on your corn, peel off a few of the outer layers of the corn husks first, before grilling.

3. Place the corn in their husks on the hot grill.

 Cover the grill. Turn the corn every 4 minutes , so you ‘evenly’ turn it by the time its done, (vs leaving and walking away) , until the husks are completely blackened and charred on all sides, about 15 to 20 minutes.

*remember, corn is cooked, even though husks are blackened or charred. Covered grill: fresh cobs take 15 minutes to cook.

Uncovered grill:  20 minutes to cook. Honestly depends on HOW hot your grill is. Finished corn will turn bright yellow and become more opaque , than when you started cooking.

Key is: watching corn, and evenly turning. You got this!

Season tip: I will share one thing: I actually pull the husks back half-way down,  before throwing on the grill. I put butter (up/down all sides), salt lightly, and a little Parmesan grated cheese, coat thinly and evenly. and I put husks all the way back on. This version of Southwestern corn I have served at dinner parties. It is amazing! It is the BEST!  So, options!

WHEN FINISHED COOKING:  

• Remove the ears from the grill and cool for five minutes. Then you should be able to easily pull back the husks and silk. Use a clean kitchen towel to wipe away any unwanted silk or charred husk flakes.

Personally I think butter and salt are the only toppings you need, but you have another Southwest version above as well. Try to serve the corn immediately for the most satisfying results.

WANT SPECIFICS FOR SHUCKING? :

Rule One: Make sure the silky tassel is still attached.

This is what you grab onto when you unzip the cob from its husk, and it will pull most of the silks along with it. No tassel and your shucking job will be much tougher. Oh no!

1. Peel off the outer leaves. Peel away the outer leaves until you only have one thin layer of inner leaves remaining around the ear. (remember?)