Summer Grilled Vegetable Medley

Day 33

Mission Accomplished. We had the best day up on the lake, eating good food and enjoying gorgeous weather. So yesterday I'm perusing through this month's latest Williams Sonoma catalog and I came across this recipe. Our grilling days are numbered and I wanted to use summer's best fresh vegetables this weekend, so this recipe popped out as The One. Grandpa Justice was my right-hand man on the grill, and we cooked up a delicious medley of fresh vegetables. Use whatever you have on hand. We were fortunate and loaded up on the roadside stand's loot and went to town. You can also throw in fresh herbs or your favorite seasoning as well. There were plenty of "mmmm"s from the stands, so I'll consider this one a success.

Recipe: Serves 8

1/2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

5 Tbs. olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and thinly sliced

1 bunch green onions, white and green portions, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels

1 cup cooked black beans, drained

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise

Directions

1. To make the summer salad, increase the grill temperature to high heat. Place a fine-mesh grill pan on the grill and preheat for 10 minutes. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and 3 Tbs. of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Set the vinaigrette aside In a bowl, combine the bell pepper, jalapeño, green onions, 1 Tbs. of the olive oil, salt and pepper and stir to coat evenly with the oil. Transfer the pepper mixture to the grill pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are charred and tender, 5 to 6 minutes.

3. Using tongs, push the pepper mixture to one side of the pan. 

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the corn, black beans, the remaining 1 Tbs. olive oil, salt and pepper and stir to coat evenly with the oil. Transfer the corn mixture to the grill pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the corn is charred and tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more. 



4. Transfer the pepper-corn mixture to a bowl, immediately add the vinaigrette and stir to combine. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.

Recipe adapted from Williams Sonoma