Serves: 5

_Grill-Roasted Peppers: Hot Little Numbers
_Vegetables On The Grill: Bumper Crop Of Flavor
_Vegetable Grilling Chart
_Great Grilled Garlic: Mom's Own Comfort Food
_Beyond Veggies: How To Grill For A Vegetarian
_Meat Substitutes: Quick & Easy
_Year-Round Heroes: Corn & Squash

For generations, mothers and grandmothers alike have extolled the virtues of vegetables. More recently, health experts have practically gone hoarse reminding us that we need our A, C, E, and B12. Antioxidants are the superheroes of the moment. And yet very few of us manage to choke down our "five a day for better health." What gives?

We suspect it's not all our fault. So where does it start? At the grocery store, we argue. Countless polls confirm how bored we've become with the shopping process. Most of us make do with a pit stop after work, or fly in to grab a couple of things on a Saturday morning. Just enough to get us by. Why?

Of course, we're all time-pressed. But maybe our taste buds are just a little bored with the same old routine. Face it, once you've steamed one asparagus spear, you've steamed them all.

America, isn't it time we gave vegetables another chance? Imagine, instead of trolling the produce aisle, going through the motions, we could put some fun back in the courtship! We might start looking forward to that chance encounter with a perfectly ripe tomato or significant moment with a handsome acorn squash. We might find unimagined fulfillment with an artichoke.

Of course, if you're wise enough to grow a vegetable garden, you don't have to look any farther than your own backyard for veggie bliss. There's nothing better than homegrown sweet corn or a vine-ripened tomato. But what about those of us who don't have a garden?

First, it helps to learn the season for each vegetable and then eat it when Nature meant it to be eaten. (This seems totally obvious, but it's easy to be misled when just about everything is available all year round.) We know tomatoes in winter are just never going to taste like summer's. August's asparagus can't hold a candle to April's. And trying winter squash in June is just setting yourself up for a letdown. Still, it's hard to resist when special offers beckon from the food section of the local paper.

And it's so easy to be seduced by looks. (We've all fallen for the gorgeous but tasteless type, no?) Much of today's grocery produce is bred for uniformity, color, and the ability to survive a long haul on a truck. Sadly, most is picked too early to reach its full potential in smell and taste, then left to "ripen" under the glare of artificial lights. The cure? Shop whenever you can at a farmer's market, where you'll find food grown for the table (not the produce bin) and that has had a chance to ripen in the field.

Small farmers have the advantage of being closer to their retail outlets, so they can wait to pick the produce when it's ripe. Since this produce is grown as food and not necessarily beauty-pageant material, you'll often find odd-shaped specimens. These quirky profiles just add charm to the pursuit. You could love a zucchini with a crooked nose, couldn't you, if it was sweet and tender?

But wherever you find your vegetables, you'll do right by them if you put them on the grill. The grill does something to vegetables that makes us all a little weak in the knees. It draws out their natural sugars and caramelizes them on the surface right where you can taste them. Add that little hint of smoke and they become downright irresistible. And because the grill cooks them quickly, it heightens their color and appearance, too. All those veggies need is a light coating of olive oil to prevent them from sticking to the grate and to keep them nice and moist. That, and a dash of salt and pepper.

We have plenty of recipes in this chapter that feature vegetables as the main course, as well as side dishes that round out a great grilled meal. Once you're hooked on grilled veggies, you'll discover their amazing versatility. Grilling vegetable ingredients before you add them to a dish can make an ordinary meal spectacular. Soon you'll be grilling up extra asparagus, peppers, and onions for tomorrow's omelette, sandwiches, soup, or pasta dish. And more importantly, you'll be eating your veggies because you want to. Mom would be proud.

From Weber’s Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.

More Recipes from the Weber's Big Book of Grilling Cookbook:
*Vegetables
Artichoke With Lemon-Dill Mayonnaise
Arugula Pizza
Barbecued Cabbage
Cajun Corn With Louisiana Butter
Cauliflower And Red Onion Curry
Corn On The Cob Italian-Style
Frittata Primavera With Asiago Cheese
Grilled Asparagus With Tarragon Butter
Grilled Vegetable Pasta Salad
Middle Eastern Pita With Tzatziki Sauce
Pizza Dough On The Grill
Pizza Margherita
Poblano Rellenos
Portabello Burgers With Roasted Peppers
Provençal Sandwiches With Roasted Garlic Paste
Roasted Artichokes
Rustic White Bean Soup
Spring Vegetable Platter
Summer Vegetable Risotto
Summer Vegetables With Romesco Sauce
Sweet Potato With Cinnamon Butter
Yukon Gold Potatoes And Button Mushrooms