grilled some veggies, now what to do?

[Barbara76137]

This all started with deciding to make a pizza tonight and wanting the vegetables to be more interesting. I grilled an eggplant that needed to be cooked, a few slices of red onion, then decided the red, yellow and orange bell peppers might just as well go on the grill. Might as well put the four tomatillos sitting on the counter for the last week out there on my VERY small grill, and one lone jalapeno as well.

So now I'm letting everything cool a bit before I start working on my pizza. The pizza will have eggplant, bell pepper, red onion, crimini mushrooms and sausage as well as cheese & sauce.

I'll still have plenty to "experiment" with and have never made a roasted tomatillo anything before. I'm sure you chowhounds can come up with some interesting suggestions.

[ski_gpsy]

I firmly believe that if I'm going to fire up the charcoal grill rather than push a button on the gas grill, that it is mandatory that along with whatever I'm grilling, to also grill enough fresh veggies to make a version of what is considered by many to be one of the greatest salads ever created, The Ivy restaurant's Grilled Vegetable Salad. (See Hollywood Reporter's "Hollywood's Five Favorite Salads http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/hollywoods-5-favorite-salads-205070

For years faithful fans of this unconventional salad have tried to copy it. Both Naomi Judd and Gwyneth Paltrow have included versions in their cookbooks. I deliberately book my flights into LAX to coincide with lunchtime at the Ivy, just to have this amazing salad.

As many times as I have tried to recreate it at home, the only time I ever really come close to the Ivy's original is when I actually fire up the coals and add mesquite chips. It is the mesquite smoke that separates the Ivy from the wannabes. But lacking the time or opportunity to flame grill veggies, even Gwyneth's version done in a grill pan on the stove is still a delicious healthy feast (I add a drop of mesquite liquid smoke to the dressing to give a hint of smokey open fire flavor).

Gwyneth's version reprinted in Self magazine;
http://www.self.com/fooddiet/recipes/2011/05/gwyneth-paltrows-ivy-chopped-salad

And Naomi's version reprinted the Amarillo Globe News;
http://amarillo.com/stories/042298/fo...

So next time you happen to have some hot coals in the BBQ and a bunch of fresh veggies, throw on some mesquite chips and try this salad. It is definitely worth the effort.

[escondido123]

For grilled eggplant with an Asian flavor, once it is done, brush it with a mixture of hoisin sauce and toasted sesame seed oil. I just had some tonight with steak and it was wonderful. Great at room temp or even cooled.

[Phurstluv]

Hi Barbara! I just made a panzanella salad with grilled vegetables, and it was wonderful, I think this will be my go to salad for this summer.

I used a yellow & orange bell pepper and red onions on the grill. Also grilled up some garlic bread (the kind of loaf w garlic cloves in it, not the Italian specialty w butter). Tossed together with fresh heirloom tomatoes, yellow cherry tomatoes, and a hot house cucumber, and a garlic vinaigrette, it was fantastic! Obviously, you can grill as many or few vegs as you want.

[Barbara76137]

never attempted a panzanela salad, but this sounds good.

[porker]

I really like grilled vegetable soup. Chop whatever you grilled and plop (its the chop&plop method) into chicken broth, season (I like a pinch of ground thyme, salt&pepper), simmer awhile. Haul out the immersion blender your mother gave you, but have only used 3 times in 5 years. Blend a little, leaving chunks if you want a more rustic soup, or blend until smooooth. Enjoy now, or put in fridge, let the flavors mature, reheat and enjoy later.

[Barbara76137]

All of these are such good suggestions!!! I may have to grill more today to try all of them! A veggie quesadilla with tomatillo salsa sounds perfect for breakfast/lunch today after my run.

Shanagain, could I put a whole head of garlic on the grill, or would the skin catch on fire? Could I soak it briefly in water (like corn on the cob) or would that steam vs. roast the garlic?

[shanagain]

I thought about that too - soaking it in water, that is - but think I'd play it safe and just wrap it in foil.

[eight_inch_pestle]

Foil is traditional, but if you peel off all the all outer papery peel and grill indirectly or at least over relatively low heat you should be fine. You could try both, side-by-side, see which you prefer, and report back! After all, what's a head of garlic cost?

[Barbara76137]

I just bought 5 heads for $1.49 at 99 Ranch Market today, but I don't want to burn down my apartment!!! LOLOL

[eight_inch_pestle]

Understood. Good luck!

[ROCKLES]

Sandwiches....a little balsamic vinegar and garlic mix, soak the veges for a bit, then put on some nice crusty bread, top with provolone and broil

[eight_inch_pestle]

How about a little gratin or vegetable terrine with a roasted tomatillo salsa?

[shanagain]

What about babaganoush for your eggplant (shame you didn't throw some garlic on while you were at it LOL)?

Then maybe some sort of pepper-onion jam with your bell peppers and onion?

And a bit more of the onion, jalapeno and tomatillos for a roasted salsa verde. Or maybe even a soup - a riff off of tortilla soup with the tomatillos sounds amazing to me.

[CynAmyn]

I'm feeling a roasted veg quesadilla.

[hill food]

chopped and tossed in a mild aioli or balsamic vinegarette. or the base for an interesting take on gazpacho.

[magiesmom]

these would make a fine salsa!

[Barbara76137]

pizza turned into calzones, which I had never made before. I made four of them and polished off two so I'm stuffed!! Really would have been plenty stuffed with just one!

Looking forward to any interesting recipes for salsa and anything else!

[inaplasticcup]

+1 on the roasted tomatillo salsa

You could also take those tomatillos and blend them with some onions, garlic, cilantro, cumin and some kind of chili with some chicken stock and braise chicken or pork in it.

[ErnieD]

Definitely-roasted/grilled tomatillo salsa is delicious! Tastebuds obviously vary, but I think tomatillos have a nice tartness on their own, and I like a squeeze of orange juice in mine instead of lime juice.