Hetty McKinnon is new charred eggplant This recipe is such a great blueprint for summer cooking: grill a vegetable that’s in season, then let it soak up something tasty while it’s still warm. To repeat.
Here the aubergine is sliced and browned in a grill pan until nice and soft, then topped with a dressing made from herbs, garlic, chilli flakes and the infused olive oil left over from frying some salted capers. When it comes time to eat, top it with soft, runny burrata and those crispy fried capers.
Look here for more marinated vegetables Ali Slagle recipe, which is especially delicious if you’re cooking over charcoal and using a mix of the summer vegetables you have on hand. Okra and eggplant do particularly well on the grill, but zucchini, green beans, fennel and asparagus are also great, as are tougher lettuces like radicchio.
Grilled, marinated vegetables are so delicious this time of year, especially if you’re making a little more than you need! The next day, you can eat the leftovers in pita bread, use them to start a cereal bowl, or mix them with more herbs, baked bread, and vegetables to make a hearty leafy salad.
Raw vegetables also enjoy a dip. This marinated Cherry tomatoes with olives and red wine vinegar—part of a very quick caprese-esque recipe from David Tanis—are delicious to spoon over slices of mozzarella, but they shouldn’t be limited to just that. They would be so delicious on a slice of crispy fried tofu mixed with some tender white beans or piled on a thick piece of toast.
All three recipes are ideal for taking to someone’s house for a potluck, or packing for a picnic – they travel well and taste just as good warm, or at room temperature, as they are chilled.