Veganomicon: The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook (9 page)

Tools for Outdoor Grilling

 

METAL TONGS: Tongs are like an extension of our arms if there’s a grill within fifty feet. Don’t bother trying to turn things with a spatula; tongs are the tool of choice for flipping your veggies with precision. Simple, cheap metal ones will do, but you can get exotic with silicone-handled, heavy-duty tongs.

 

 

 

SPATULA: So you don’t need a spatula for turning vegetables, but don’t worry, it doesn’t have to join the unemployment line just yet. Spatulas are great for flattening things out on the grill to ensure even cooking. Just be sure to get a really long-handled one for the grill, or feel free to use the little guy used for flipping pancakes if your hands are made out of asbestos.

 

 

PASTRY BRUSHES: Kitchen supply stores sell pastry brushes that are just a little too dainty and precious for our tastes, not to mention more expensive. So we use the kind of fat, round, nylon brush that you can find in a hardware store. Grill like a
Veganomicon
author and keep two at your side: one for brushing the grill with oil and one for brushing the veggies with oil or marinade during cooking.

 

 

METAL SKEWERS: For some reason, grilling vegetables in kebab form makes them 76 percent more fun to eat, according to our studies. You can also use wooden skewers, but to make sure that they don’t burn: soak the wooden skewers in water beforehand for at least an hour. Get those freeloader picnic guests to assemble bite-size veggie chunks onto skewers while you make the marinades or just work on your fierce tan.

 

 

LIDDED PLASTIC CONTAINERS: They make for easy transport of your veggies, and you can shake them to coat your veggies in oil or marinade with no worries.

 

 

LARGE, RESEALABLE PLASTIC BAGS: For some vegetables, such as asparagus, it’s difficult to find a container that’s the right size. Hence bags.

 

 

ALUMINUM FOIL : You always need it for something. It’s almost a mystery how aluminum foil saves many a grilling day.

 

 

THE GRILL : We don’t live in the suburbs, so therefore we never really developed an unhealthy obsession with obtaining the perfect grill. Use any charcoal, gas-fired grill or campfire that pleases you. Generally we like the permanent, for-the-people kind you’ll find in the park (a good a reason as any to leave the house on a Saturday before 11 a.m., just to lay claim on the good ones), or anything under thirty bucks. The great part about cooking veggies is that it takes a fraction of the time the meaty stuff does, so you really don’t need that monster grill that costs as much as a down payment on a car.

 

The #1 Tool for Indoor Grilling

 

CAST aside your fears and get a cast-iron grill pan!

We probably say this about ten times throughout the book, but since this section is specifically about grilling it would be remiss not to mention it here. You absolutely need to get one! Once you have procured this, the most important purchase you will ever make in your life, then you can follow these same directions for outdoor grilling, only you will be indoors. (See Grill, page 19.)

 

Prep:
Remove rough end of stems. Place in a plastic bag. Add enough olive oil to coat, and a few cloves of minced garlic. Close the bag and rub all over to make sure the asparagus is coated. Let it sit for 10 minutes or a few hours—whenever you are ready to grill. When you are ready to grill, sprinkle with a little bit of coarse sea salt.

Grill:
Turn every few minutes and brush with olive oil if it looks like it’s getting dry. It’s ready when the tips to turn slightly charred—but before they turn shriveled—about 5 to 7 minutes.

 

Prep:
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Carve out the pepper stem with a paring knife. Remove the stem and seeds, and peel out as much of the white stuff on the inside of the skin as you can. Place the peppers in the boiling water for just a minute or two. Remove the peppers with your trusty tongs, drain the insides, and set aside to cool. Cut each pepper in half. Brush each side with olive oil.

Grill:
Place skin side down on the grill and flatten with a spatula as much as you can. Let cook until the skin is very charred; depending on the heat of your grill this can take anywhere from 8 to 15 minutes. Once then skin is good and charred, flip the pepper over for just a few more minutes.

Prep:
Pull back the husk as far as you can without ripping it off or damaging it. Pull the silk away from the corn and then close the husks back up. Soak the corn in a big pot of water for at least half an hour. The water softens the kernels as well as provides moisture that steams the corn and helps it to cook faster. Push the husks aside and brush the corn with oil and sprinkle with salt. Close the husks back up.

Grill:
Place the whole ears on the grill and turn often for about 20 minutes. The corn is ready when the kernels are soft and release moisture if pressed.

Eggplant: To Salt or Not to Salt?

 

WE’VE been fence sitters on this issue for a while, but we’ve decided to err on the side of caution and tell you to salt the eggplant. Does salting eggplant really leach out the bitterness? Yes, even though eggplant is now bred to be less bitter. On the pro-salt side, the salt really does tenderize the eggplant, so why not take the extra time to do it? So even though we do recommend it, we aren’t fascistic in our belief and you can skip this step if you feel like it.

 

Prep:
Eggplant is great sliced in numerous ways; the stylish bias, completely lengthwise for huge eggplant “steaks,” or the widthwise circular slice. Slices can be a little bit thicker than for summer squash, about ¾ inch. Remember to brush liberally with olive oil.

Grill:
Grill for 5 to 7 minutes, then flip and grill for another 5 to 7. Brush often with oil as eggplant loves to drink that stuff up and tends to stick to the grill easier than do other veggies.