Fall outdoor grilling

Summer may be over, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to retire the grill. There's delicious grilled food that features fall’s bounty.

Fall vegetables

Grilled mushrooms, especially portabella mushrooms, make a savory entrée, side dish, or topping for pizza. Simply toss mushroom caps and thick slices of sweet onions with olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried thyme. Place them on a hot grill for 4-5 minutes per side or until tender.

Squash, peppers, and fennel, also at their seasonal peak, are delicious on the grill. Serve them as part of a grilled vegetable platter, salad, or sandwich. They also make great toppers for pizza or crostini—just add cheese! Don’t want to stand outside in the cold? Place your sliced, oiled, and seasoned vegetables in an aluminum foil pouch and put it on the grill for about 15 minutes. Voila!

Fall fruit

Grilling isn’t only for vegetables—give fruit a try.

Grilled pears make a lovely topping for ice cream, mixed green salad, or crostini, along with blue cheese. Slice pears in ¼-inch thick slices, toss them with oil, and grill them for about 2 minutes per side or until tender with grill marks.

Figs, also at their seasonal peak, make a nice accompaniment to grilled meats. Slice them in half vertically and add them to skewers along with lamb, pork or chicken.  

Back in the kitchen, feature seasonal flavors such as maple, cranberry, apple, and pumpkin in salads, sauces, and side dishes.