Grilling is not just for meats. You can also grill your zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant and corn on the cob, peppers, onions and even leafy greens that you can purchase from a Harvest Home market near you. Grilling brings out their flavor, increases the intake of vegetables in your diet and you can avoid cooking meals to go with that BBQ meat. Plus, slow cooking on a grill gives you nutrition you can easily absorb. It is also a great way to cut down your prep time on Labor Day meals.

Grilling tricks for tastiness and health

Marinate before you grill. Marinating your vegetables adds flavor, gives you more taste and holds their nutrient content. Store bought marinades should contain either olive or canola oil. Olive and canola oil cling to veggies while they grill, preventing smoking or flaming which are not healthy. Or make your own marinade (See recipes below.) Mix veggies and marinade together. Refrigerate for ½ hour to an hour, but no more than 8 hours (or they get mushy).

Just the right size: Cut large veggies like eggplant or zucchini length-wise or in rounds for more grilling surface area. Use skewers for small veggies like cherry tomatoes, tomatillos or peppers. Or loosely wrap small veggies in aluminum foil. Click HERE for more tips.

Where do you put a veggie on the grill: "If it cooks for 20 minutes or less, put it on the grate directly over the flames. If you need to cook it for 20 minutes or more, keep the veggies away from direct heat." (E. Karmel: Taming the Flame)

Our Favorite: Corn on the cob, cooked in the husk. Remove the silk from the top of the ear. Soak in a bowl of water with 1 tablespoon of salt for 10 minutes. Put on medium hot grill, close lid and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes.

Sit back and enjoy.

MOVE OVER MEAT

RECIPE: Grilled Vegetables for a Group

Served hot off the grill, warm later in a day or cold straight from the fridge 3 days later.

From Food Network

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 red bell peppers, seeded and halved

• 3 yellow squash (about 1 pound total), sliced lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick rectangles

• 3 zucchini (about 12 ounces total), sliced lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick rectangles

• 3 Japanese eggplant (12 ounces total), sliced lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick rectangles

• 12 cremini mushrooms

• 12 green onions, roots cut off

• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil leaves

• 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

PREPARATION:

• Prepare the barbecue (medium-high heat).

• Brush the vegetables with 1/4 cup of the oil to coat lightly. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

• Working in batches, grill the vegetables until tender and lightly charred all over, about 8 to 10 mins. for the bell peppers; 7 mins. for the yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms; 4 mins. for green onions. Want grill marks? Don't shift the vegetables too frequently once they've been placed on the hot grill.

• Meanwhile, mix the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, parsley, basil, and rosemary in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the herb mixture over the vegetables.

TIPS: For Grilling Success and More Choices

GRILLING BASICS:

• Clean grill thoroughly with a brush before using, making sure there is nothing left from the last grilling.

• Lightly brush your grill with olive oil to prevent sticking;

• Add extra fresh chopped herbs the last few minutes of grilling or just before you serve your dish to increase flavor.

MARINADE MAGIC: Soak veggies in different marinades to create new dishes that help you eat more veggies

• Savory Summer: Especially good if grilling tomatoes. Mix together 2/3 cup of olive oil, 1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup of finely chopped red onion, 1 tablespoon of fresh basil, 1 teaspoon minced garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Soak veggies for 2 hours. Excellent on chicken, too.

• Slightly Asian: Mix together 1/2 cup of olive oil; 1/2 cup of low sodium soy sauce and ½ of lemon juice with 1 crushed clove of garlic. Soak for about an hour. Also good on chicken.

• Spicy Orange and Cilantro: Mix together 4 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 tablespoons orange juice, 2 tablespoon orange marmalade, 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro and 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.

• Light Lemony: Mix together 2 tablespoon olive oil, 4 tablespoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoon of lemon zest, 1 teaspoon of finely chopped garlic.

Want to grill more than just Veggies. Visit link to learn How to Grill Fruits