Claire
Master Chef
Some really great preparation ideas here. Just for info, I take thick slices of eggplant and zuchini (aubergine and courgettes to those from various places), whole or halved mushrooms (depending on size), and toss in a bowl of olive oil and favorite garlic based seasoning (mine is Cavender's Greek). Separately, I put some onions in a foil packet with olive oil, salt and pepper. All of this is put over the coals until tender. Into a bowl with a chopped tomato or two from the vine. If needed more olive oil and/or seasoning. Mom calls this "Claire's rattatouille" (OK, I've misspelled that and don't feel like looking it up).
In the years that we were traveling on the road in a trailer, I made this often (at least once a week). I tend to do the vegetables when the coals are newly hot, then remove them to a bowl that I stick in the oven (no heat, just a place to put them ..... living in a trailer isn't easy!). Then I grill the meat. What would crack me up would be that older, "macho" guys would come by to see what wonderful stuff we were grilling. They'd be puzzled to find our grill (a small travel Weber) full of veggies. "... but it smells so good! I thought it was meat!" Hey, guys, veggies are good food!
By the way, and I've posted this at various times over the years, this treatment of vegetables can be chopped more finely (I like them coarse) and used in any bean/pea/lentil type soup or chili. It is great if you're a vegetarian and want that smoked flavor in your food but don't want to use smoked pork.
In the years that we were traveling on the road in a trailer, I made this often (at least once a week). I tend to do the vegetables when the coals are newly hot, then remove them to a bowl that I stick in the oven (no heat, just a place to put them ..... living in a trailer isn't easy!). Then I grill the meat. What would crack me up would be that older, "macho" guys would come by to see what wonderful stuff we were grilling. They'd be puzzled to find our grill (a small travel Weber) full of veggies. "... but it smells so good! I thought it was meat!" Hey, guys, veggies are good food!
By the way, and I've posted this at various times over the years, this treatment of vegetables can be chopped more finely (I like them coarse) and used in any bean/pea/lentil type soup or chili. It is great if you're a vegetarian and want that smoked flavor in your food but don't want to use smoked pork.