Fall means nicer weather, football on the TV and the perfect time to enjoy great food with family and friends. Each season also brings different vegetables to the table. It’s also not a time to put that grill away. Here are my 5 favorite veggies to grill in the fall:
1. Sweet Potatoes: Nothing says fall like these tubers, right down to the color. You can cut into all kinds of shapes (cubes, wedges, etc.) and seasoning is simple (olive oil, salt, pepper).
2. Pumpkin: No way you can’t have pumpkin on the list! While it's best to leave the big ones for carving, the smaller sugar pumpkins are great for the grill. Over indirect heat, halved sugar pumpkins take a good 45-60 minutes to completely soften. This gives them ample time to pick up a little smokiness.
3. Brussel Sprouts: They don’t have the best reputation but hear me out. Grilled Brussel sprouts are some of the best tasting vegetables you can have. Keep it simple with salt, pepper and olive oil to season. Sometimes I like to add a little parmesan cheese as well.
4. Cauliflower: High heat is one of the best ways to cook cauliflower, and the grill can deliver it like nothing else. You want to develop a deeply browned crust, crispy edges, and a tender inside. Cutting cauliflower into florets can make it difficult to grill though, since it can be a challenge to constantly look over so many little pieces, not to mention how easily they can fall between the grates. Instead, I slice my cauliflower into large vertical slices with the stem intact.
5. Acorn Squash: Acorn squash is a lot like pumpkin or butternut squash in terms of cooking method: the flesh needs a long time on the grill to completely soften. But the flavor more than pays off for the investment, coming out as a complex mixture of sweetness and nuttiness.
As always pour some KC Finest BBQ Sauce to any of these veggies to add even more flavor and taste!
Enjoy,
Jimarse
Comments