Grill your greens

As many of us kick off our summer with a long holiday weekend, we will be firing up our grills to make burgers, ribs, hot dogs, and more. Vegetables will get their turn over the coals, too. One class of vegetables that is often overlooked when grilling is greens, although you should consider adding lettuce and other greens to your outdoor cooking repertoire, explains Kendra Vaculin at Epicurious.

If you think that grilled greens will be a limp, wilted mess think again, says Vaculin. If they are “cut and prepped correctly, certain greens are more than sturdy enough to stand up to a few minutes on a hot grill, and are all the better for it once they hit the plate. Instead of flopping over into a droopy, unappetizing mess, well-grilled greens stay fresh and crisp to the bite, with a subtly smoky flavor and perfect lines of char,” she says.

The article provides tips on how you should choose and prepare the greens that will grace your grill. As you might surmise, this isn’t the time to select the most delicate frilly lettuce. Instead, aim for varieties with some gravitas such as romaine, endive, or kale. You’ll want to add a coat of oil to prevent sticking and season the greens before they hit the hot grate (or grill pan for those who want to cook indoors). You can choose any type of dressing, although hearty, thick toppings work particularly well. I’m partial to charred romaine with a Caesar-style dressing. Here are a few recipes from the EYB Library to get you started:

• High heat grilled romaine lettuce with rosemary, garlic, and lemon baste from Acorn Advisors by Karen Adler and Judith Fertig
• Grilled lettuces with crème fraîche and avocado from Bon Appétit Magazine (pictured)
• Garlicky grilled kale salad with grilled bread from The Kitchn
• Grilled butter lettuce with creamy dressing from Everyday Food Magazine
• Grilled kale and radicchio with almonds and balsamic-orange glaze from Martha Stewart Living Magazine
• Grilled romaine salad with piquillo pepper dressing from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
• Grilled endive and pear salad from Vegetarian Times Magazine