Best Veggies for Grilling

The warmer months mean it's time to fire up the grill and enjoy some picnic favorites. I like to load my plate with lots of fresh, in-season vegetables from the local Farmers Market during the spring and summer months, and I've found that a handful of these veggies are perfect for grilling on skewers with meat and seafood. You can also grill slices of certain vegetables on their own. Add a touch of seasoning and turn up the heat to enjoy a fire-roasted flavor with your favorite veggies!

Here are just five vegetables that are perfect for grilling this season:

Tomatoes
Tomatoes are best grilled on a skewer because you can't grill sliced tomatoes easily without them falling apart. Use medium to large cherry tomatoes for your skewers, and alternate with chunks of onion, bell peppers and your favorite meat for a tasty entree. Sprinkling your skewer with some Italian seasoning or fresh herbs and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar will add some flavor in a flash.

Eggplant
The key to grilling eggplant successfully is to cut it into very thick slices -- preferably about 1/2-inch thick -- and make sure it's free of skin. You can drizzle these slices with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice or another oil-based marinade for some flavor, then cook on a grill until heated all the way through. Just make sure you let the slices sit for at least 20 minutes after cooking so that the heat can continue cooking the eggplant before it's eaten.

Zucchini
Whether you slice up your zucchini and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper, or dice it up for a veggie kabob, this is one vegetable that will soon become a mainstay of many barbeques and picnics. Zucchini can get very soft when it's left on the grill too long, so make sure you check and turn it regularly. It usually only takes less than a few minutes on each side to cook fresh zucchini all the way through.

Potatoes
Another vegetable that's great for kabob-like fare is the simple potato. You can grill chunks of red potato on a skewer, or wrap the potato in foil and throw it on the grill for a variation of a baked potato. The benefit of grilling the potatoes on the grill -- instead of heating it in the oven or microwave -- is that the grill will add a smoky, roasted flavor. Use lemon juice, basil, dill and other herbs to season your potatoes before they hit the grill for extra flavor.

Corn
It's not grilling season until you cook up some corn on the cob on your grill! This is one of the easiest veggies to cook up on the grill, and you can enjoy fresh off the flame with minimal preparation required. You will need to "marinate" the corn husks for about an hour before cooking. Just place the husks in a roasting pan with water and season with salt, spices, garlic and pepper to taste. Place the husks right on the grill and cook for about ten minutes on each side, and continue cooking for about 20 to 30 minutes until the husks dry out.

Sources:
Fine Cooking: How to Grill Eggplant
What's Cooking America -- How to Grill Corn
Ladies' Home Journal -- Grilled Red Potato Kabobs Recipe