BBQ Queens of Kansas City

Grilled Vegetable Platter with Fresh Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds fresh asparagus
  • 8 baby eggplants, ends trimmed
  • 4 large red bell peppers, cored
  • 2 pound baby yellow pattypan squash
  • olive oil
  • fine kosher or sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • sprigs of fresh basil for garnish

Prepare a hot fire in the grill. Brush two perforated grill racks or hinged grill baskets and a grill wok with oil and set aside.

Prepare the vegetables. Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus. Cut each eggplant lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Cut each red bell pepper lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick strips. Place the asparagus, eggplant, and red bell pepper on the prepared grill racks. Place the squash in the prepared grill wok. Spray the vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Have a baking sheet and a large bowl ready near the grill. Grill the vegetables on the perforated grill racks, turning with grill tongs, until they are tender and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Toss the squash in the grill wok, using wooden grill paddles or a grill spatula, until they are tender, about 10 minutes total. Transfer the squash to the bowl and add the cherry tomatoes to the grill wok. Grill until the tomato skins just begin to crack, about 5 minutes total. Remove all the vegetables from the grill and set aside to cool slightly.

Arrange the vegetables on a large platter in a pleasing pattern or just a jumble, your preference. Garnish with the basil. Drizzle Fresh Basil Vinaigrette (recipe follows) over the vegetables and serve immediately, or wrap with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours. Serves 8 to 10.

Fresh Basil Vinaigrette

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup finely chopped fresh basil
  • fine kosher or sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Place all ingredients in a pint jar with a lid. Secure the lid, then shake to blend. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Makes about 2 cups.

Grilled Romaine Caesar Salad with Citrus Caesar Vinaigrette 2 large heads romaine lettuce olive oil fine kosher or sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste wedge Reggiano-Parmigiano for shaving

Prepare a medium-hot fire in the grill. Rinse the heads of romaine and pat dry. Cut them into quarters, lengthwise. Brush the romaine with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill on the flat cut sides for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once, until browned and sizzled on the flat sides and warm in the middle. Drizzle with Citrus Caesar Vinaigrette (recipe follows). With a vegetable peeler, shave some Parmigiano-Reggiano over each salad and serve. Serves 4.

Citrus Caesar Vinaigrette

Ingredients

  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
  • 2 tablespoons anchovy paste
  • 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
  • 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Place all ingredients in a pint jar with a lid. Secure the lid, then shake to blend. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week. Makes about 1 cup.

Simply Planked Salmon with Mustard-Mayo-Dill Slather

Ingredients

  • 1 (15 x 6-1/2 x 3/8-inch) cedar plank, pre-soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
  • 1 salmon fillet, skin removed
  • Mustard-Mayo-Dill Slather:
  • 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise (low fat is fine)
  • 1 teaspoon dried dillweed
  • 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
  • juice of half a lemon

Prepare dual-heat fire in the grill, with a hot fire on one side and a low to medium fire on the other. Compare the length of the plank with the length of the salmon fillet and trim the salmon to fit the plank, if necessary.

Mustard-Mayo-Dill Slather: Whisk the slather ingredients together in a bowl. Place the salmon fillet on a baking tray and spread the flesh side with the mustard slather. Place the plank on the grill rack over the hot fire until it begins to char and pop. Turn the plank over and move to the medium heat side. Carefully place the salmon, slather side up, on the charred side of the plank. Cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the fish begins to flake when tested with a fork in the thickest part. Serves 4.

Recipes by Karen Adler & Judith Fertig, authors of THE BBQ QUEENSÕ BIG BOOK OF BARBECUE, published by The Harvard Common Press, 2005.

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