Grilled Vegetables

Cook's notes: The previous blog covered vegetables roasted and cooked in a skillet. But nothing says "summer" quite like firing up the grill at the start of a new season. 
Some tips for  grilling vegetables include the following:

• Most vegetables wither under the intense conditions of the grill if left too long. Cook vegetables on the grill but when start to brown, flip to cook on other side and then remove from the grill.
• Cut vegetables into sizes that are uniform.
• For vegetables that tend to fall apart such as onion, fennel leave root in place. They can be trimmed or removed after cooking.
• For smaller vegetables such a s mushrooms or cherry tomatoes use a skewer but be sure to soak the skewer in water 30 minutes before use. 
• When ever possible cut vegetables into planks running the length of the vegetable. Eggplant, summer squash and zucchini easily cut into planks.   
• Cooking vegetables on a piece of foil is an alternative. 

Grilled Vegetables 

Ingredients:

• yellow and green zucchini
• red onion slices
• green peppers
• mushrooms
• grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 tsp. dried basil
• 1 tsp. parsley flakes 
• chicken flavored rice

Directions:

• On a large piece of foil place cut vegetables reserve halved tomatoes 
• Sprinkle spices over vegetables
• Drizzle with olive oil and a good balsamic vinegar
• Last 10 minutes of grilling time add in tomatoes 
• Serve grilled vegetables over rice

If you have stored these chairs over the winter, 

they may need a thorough cleaning to make them look nice on your patio or deck. Here’s what to do:

1. Hose them down to remove dirt or debris.
2. If you notice stains, make a solution with ¾ cup of household bleach and 1 tablespoon of liquid laundry detergent with 1 gallon of water (be sure to test this mixture on a hidden spot to ensure that the plastic does not discolor).
3. Wear rubber gloves and rub the mixture over the stained areas. Let this remain on the chair for 5 to 15 minutes. Then rinse well and air dry.