Grilled Ratatouille

We are wishing for summer here.  We are even just wishing for spring.  It's been too cold for too long and we felt like donning our bathing suits and laying out in the yard today because it was 46 degrees.  Okay, so I used to do that when it got to be 46 degrees in Kansas when I was a kid, but now I am an adult, and instead I decide to grill!

One of our favorite veggie meals in the summer is grilled ratatouille.  So today, in honor of 46 degrees, we fired up the grill and made grilled ratatouille.  It's easy, it tastes great, and everyone eats it.  What's not to like about that?

So, it took a little longer to grill, and the only fresh herb that I have right now is a sad little basil plant that keeps begging to be eaten.  Dinner was a smash.  In the summer we have grilled chicken with the ratatouille, but tonight warm homemade ciabatta, fresh mozzarella, and some grated parmigiana regianno.  Also, I usually grill my onions also, but I was out of sweet onions and had a new trader joe's product to try, Grilled Glazed Balsamic Sweet Onions, that did the trick. 
Now, I used to think that EVERYONE at the table had to eat EVERYTHING to be a dinner time success.  But now I realize that some kids are going to like some things more than others, and that's okay with me.  My son will eat a lot more grilled zucchini, and less fresh mozzarella, and my daughter will eat more grilled red pepper than any of us, and as long as everyone eats a lot on their plate, and tries a bit of everything I am happy.  No one ever turns down my home made ciabatta, but that is for another post.

Grilled Ratatouille

• zucchini, sliced longways
• eggplant (sliced, salted and drained for a few hours prior to cooking)
• red pepper, sliced and cleaned
• yellow squash, sliced longways
• tomatoes, cut in half
• onions, peeled and cut in wedges or circles

Spray veg with pam (olive oil pam is great!).  Heat grill to 350, grill veg with zucchini on the top rack for 4-5 minutes each side.  Don't worry if it gets a little scorched, it will taste good.  Place in large bowl with fresh herbs, like a handful of fresh torn basil or fresh marjoram leaves, and cut with knives until in bite sized pieces with 1 tbsp olive oil and 1-2 tsp aged balsamic vinegar.  Enjoy hot or cold, as a main entree or antipasto.  YUM!