Grilled Summer Vegetables with Romesco Sauce
Summertime is all about embracing the fresh fruits and vegetables that are so irresistible this time of year, and when you cook them on the grill, the flavors really come alive.
Ingredients: For the Romesco sauce
Ingredients: For the vegetables
Instructions:
- Make the romesco sauce: Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to high for direct cooking. Grill the bell peppers until they are blackened all over, turning as needed. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let steam for 15 minutes. Peel away the skin and remove the seeds and membranes, capturing as much pepper juice as possible.
- In a food processor, combine the flesh of the peppers and their juices, the hazelnuts, bread crumbs, garlic, egg yolk, vinegar, paprika, and salt and process until very finely chopped, about 2 minutes. With the motor running, add the grapeseed oil in a slow, steady stream, processing until emulsified. Transfer to a bowl. (The sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.) Grill the vegetables: If the grill is not already hot, prepare it for direct cooking over high heat. Cut the eggplant and squashes into 1/2-inch-thick slices and place in a large bowl. Remove the tough stems from the kale leaves and add the leaves to the bowl. Add the shishito peppers and the beans. Drizzle the olive oil and lemon juice over the vegetables and season with salt. Toss to coat the vegetables.
- Grill the vegetables over direct heat, turning as needed, for 8 to 10 minutes for the eggplant, 4 to 6 minutes for the peppers, beans, and squash, and 1 to 2 minutes for the kale. As the vegetables are ready, transfer them to a sheet pan.
- To serve: Spread the romesco sauce on a serving platter. Arrange the vegetables over the sauce. Garnish with the hazelnuts
Reprinted from Silver Oak Cookbook: Life in a Cabernet Kitchen – Seasonal Recipes from California’s Celebrated Winery by arrangement with Rizzoli, New York. Copyright © 2016, Dominic Orsini.