Summertime is a wonderful time to take advantage of seasonal produce. Nothing brings out the natural sweetness and delicious flavor of vegetables more than the grill. Grilled vegetables are great for salads, sauces and side dishes. And even better yet, they are low in fat and incredibly easy to prepare. This summer spice up your salads or even enjoy your vegetables straight off the grill. Below you will find a general guide to cooking vegetables on a gas grill:

Zucchini & Summer Squash:

To prepare: Trim off both ends and make lengthwise slices, about 1/4 inch thick. Brush both sides with olive oil and season with kosher salt before grilling.

To grill: Heat a gas grill to high. Put the zucchini strips on the grill at a 45 degree angle to the grates. Cover the lid and grill for about 3-4 minutes per side or until well-browned and limp. Check with tongs occasionally to make sure that the pieces brown evenly. When done, remove them from the grill and drape over a cooling rack.

Corn:

To prepare: Shuck the corn, removing all silk and husks. Lay each ear of corn on a 12-inch square sheet of aluminum foil. Rub each ear of corn with 1 teaspoon butter and season all over with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Tuck a sprig of your favorite herb next to the corn and wrap the foil around the ear.

To grill: Heat a gas grill to high. Put the foil-wrapped corn on the grate, cover and cook, turning every 5-6 minutes, for a total of about 15 minutes. Remove from the grill and check the corn for doneness. It should be blackened in places. If it isn’t re-wrap the corn and return it to the grill for another 5 minutes. Let cool.

Onions:

To prepare: Trim off the ends, peel and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices. Thread the slices onto skewers. Brush liberally with olive oil and season with kosher salt.

To grill: Heat a gas grill to high. Place the onion skewers on the grates. Cover and grill until the slices are browned on both sides, about 15 minutes total. Remove the onions from the grill and wrap in foil to finish softening.

Bell Peppers:

To prepare: Leave whole

To grill: Heat a gas grill to high. Place the peppers on the grate. Cover the lid and grill until the skins are blackened on all sides, turning as needed with tongs, about 3-4 minutes per side for a total of 10-15 minutes. Transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let steam for about 10-15 minutes. Remove the blackened skins, stem and seeds. Reserve the flesh and juices.

Asparagus:

To prepare: Trim off tough ends. Brush liberally with olive oil and kosher salt.

To grill: Heat a gas grill to high. Put the spears on the grill at an angle. Grill, rolling over once until lightly browned and shriveled, about 2 minutes total.

Experiment grilling your favorite summertime vegetable this summer. You will love the end result!

- Glutenfreeda