Perfectly Grilled Vegetables, Every Time!

From vegetables to fruit, there is a ton of great produce in season right now. Below are practical tips on how to grill vegetables.

First, let’s start with the best way to prepare your vegetables. When it comes to grilling, how vegetables are cut, matters!

According to thekitchn.com this is the best way to prepare popular vegetables:

• Bell peppers: Seed and quarter.
• Onions: Peel and quarter through the root.
• Yellow squash, zucchini, and eggplant: Cut lengthwise into meaty, steak-like rectangles.
• Cremini mushrooms: Remove stems and halve, if large.
• Asparagus: Trim the woody ends.

Once your veggies are cut, brush them with an oil of your choice to keep them from sticking.

So how long should you grill your vegetables?

Cooking times vary depending on the size. Since most grills have a hot spot, you can use this hot spot to your advantage! Thekitchn.com recommends starting peppers and onions first on the hottest spots of your grill. After that, they recommend following it with squash, zucchini, mushrooms, and asparagus.  If you want to achieve grill marks on your veggies, let them cook for 3-4 minutes without touching them to start and then continue to cook for the remainder of the time, rotating often.

Here are recommended cooking times:

• Bell peppers and onions: Eight to 10 minutes 
• Yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms: Seven to eight minutes
• Asparagus, green onions, and tomatoes on the vine: Four to six minutes

Looking to pick up local produce? Take a drive in the country and watch for self-serve fresh veggie road stands! Here are some of our favorite farms that currently have a ton of veggies ready for purchase:

• Pray Farms - 2256 N Gunnell Rd. Eaton Rapids, MI 48827
• Grand Ledge Farmers Market – 430 E River St. Grand Ledge, 48837 (Saturdays at 9 AM)
• Downtown Lansing Farmers Market – Reutter Park, 400 S Capital Ave, 48933 (Tuesdays 3 PM – 7 PM)
• Dimondale Farmers Market – 136 N. Bridge St, Dimondale, 48821 (Thursdays 3 PM – 7PM)
• Charlotte Artisans and Farmers Market – 120 W Lovett St, Charlotte, 48813 (Thursdays 3 PM – 7 PM)
• Mason Farmers Market – 320 W Ash St, Mason, 48854 (Saturdays 9 AM – 1 PM)
• DeWitt Farmers Market – Intersection of Main and Bridge St, DeWitt, 48820

Do you currently have a roadside produce stand? Make sure that you are properly protected. Most roadside stands are not covered in a regular homeowner’s policy. Learn more about our Country Estate Policy – designed specifically for those who live in rural areas, own acreage, and may make some of their living off their land.