After many summers of grilling for my family and friends, I’ve developed a strategy that solves a problem (grill congestion) and opens up a great opportunity to be creative at the same time. By grilling vegetables ahead of time, I free up the grill for the steaks or chicken or burgers at dinnertime. And give myself the chance to turn my grilled vegetables into terrific salads, side dishes, and sauces—or just arrange them nicely on a platter. Luckily, grilled vegetables are delicious at room temperature; they don’t need to be served hot off the grill. And they keep well, too. Grill a few hours—or a day or two—ahead.
I’ve also finally made friends with the gas grill. It’s not a perfect relationship—I still think everything tastes better cooked over a charcoal fire—but it certainly is a convenient one. So I’ve adapted my favorite recipes and my techniques for prepping and grilling (see the guide below) to the gas grill. I’ve discovered that using a gas grill on its highest setting (of course, the more Btus, the better) with the lid down, gives excellent results.
If you do decide to grill vegetables ahead of time, here are a few storage tips. They’ll be fine at room temperature for a few hours. To keep the vegetables longer, refrigerate them in layers in shallow pans. Cover each layer with plastic and store for up to two days. (Peppers and onions hold particularly well; zucchini and eggplant will still taste great but may lose some luster. The “topping” just gets better after a day or two.) Be sure to bring the vegetables to room temperature before serving, since their flavors will be subdued if they’re cold. You can assemble the “roll-ups,” “sandwiches,” and platters several hours ahead, too, and keep them covered with plastic in the refrigerator.
