The fruits of one's own garden just seem to taste sweeter. Our first patty pan squash, Japanese eggplants and scallions went on the grill, along with red carrots and sweet onions from the farm. With a radicchio salad in a creamy dressing, that was all we needed for dinner the other night. I made a dipping sauce for the vegetables with an earthy red miso and it truly was perfection. A grill can really change the way you eat, especially if you live in LA or some other temperate climate. As irresistible as that charred flavor can be, I want you to be aware that too much blackened food is not good for you. Burning food produces a group of substances (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) that are associated with cancer, cardiovascular toxicity and immune system suppression, among other adverse effects. So avoid extreme charring of your food, and don't eat from the grill every day. Moderation really is the key. (Except when it comes to exercise, of course.) But don't despair! You can use you grill to cook in a number of ways that don't involve charring but still infuse your food with that delicious smoky flavor. Low and slow, as in our pulled pork for instance, or indirect cooking, which really is the best way to do chicken or other foods that tend to burn quickly.
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I wish I could say I was responsible for any of this glorious produce but it was actually grown up the road from us here in Sullivan County, at River Brook Farm in Cochecton to be precise. (Wait—I did grow the cucumbers!) They've been certified organic since 1997, and in addition to all these amazing vegetables and fruits, they also have free-range chickens and the most lovely and contented pastured lambs and goats. The owners, Alice and Neil, have to be two of the nicest and hardest-working people you could ever hope to meet. Their soil is like bittersweet chocolate and everything that grows in it is truly spectacular. They grow 11 varieties of potatoes; 8 kinds of heirloom tomatoes; rare heirloom beans for drying; 9 varieties of winter squash; tons of greens including amaranth and tatsoi; collards; and lacinato kale (cavolo nero), my absolute favorite. Can't use just hear the anti-oxidants screaming at you from that photo?
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