Healthy Summer Eating! {Grilled Vegetables.}

Don’t you just love all of the great summer-time foods?  Summer is the perfect time to pack your diet with nutritious food, because there is so much available.  Some of my best memories of growing up in the Pacific Northwest are of our garden in the summer.  I remember pulling carrots up out of the ground with my Grandpa, digging for “spuds,” and eating raspberries and strawberries off the vine…Mmm, Makes me homesick thinking about it!

Well, we don’t have many great berries here in Hawaii, but we make up for it with all sorts of other good stuff.  With all of the amazing locally grown produce we have year-round, I can’t complain.  Soon we’ll be growing a big veggie garden here at our house, so that will be a ton of fun.  (Dave is waiting for his tiller to arrive to put on the tractor…oh, and then the fun will begin!)

Until we grow our own, I rely on finding other farmer’s locally grown produce.  And this summer, I’ve been really into grilling my veggies.
Last weekend, I decided to grill up a feast on the barbie.  Since I usually lose half of my veggies down the grill, I finally bought this handy slotted pan which worked perfectly:

I tried the corn directly on the grill, and it came out perfect too.

For all of the veggies, I just put a bit of vegetable spray on them, and then sprinkled with salt.  I am ready for some good recipes though if anyone has some for me!?

Beets–why not?  I was in the mood to grill, so if I found it in my kitchen, it went onto the grill.

Dave happens to be a huge fan of Okinawa Sweet Potatoes.  I thought I should try grilling them too.  But first–do you have Okinawa Sweet Potatoes where you live?

I had never heard of them before I moved to Hawaii, but let me tell you–they are a treat.  Not SO different from a sweet potato, but firmer in texture, and come-on, who wouldn’t go crazy for a PURPLE Potato!?  So, first I sliced them up:

And after par-boiling, I tossed them on the grill as well.  (And there on top is some sliced Polenta, which I adore.)

(After the third beet took a dive into the fiery depths, I added these into the pan with the other veggies.  Much better.)

I tossed some chicken breasts onto the grill for some protein, and our meal was complete:

And we had a happy family dinner.  Even if we missed Josiah terribly.

(Notice how the kids all grabbed their corn first thing….funny how kids LOVE corn on the cob!)

Oh, and since I mentioned Josiah– he has called three times so far and is doing absolutely amazing.  Still “not a bit homesick!” and having the time of his life!  Yay!!

Updates on that, and more…soon.

Did you leave a comment over at the Giveaway post yet?  Hurry over there, and spread the word too, k?
ALOHA!

And I’d love to hear about any veggies you’ve been cooking on the barbecue.  Recipes are welcome!  

GM