Next to roasting, one of the tastiest ways of preparing vegetables is grilling them. Grilling is a high heat and short duration cooking process. Sometimes grilling is also called barbecuing, however, barbecuing is a very different low heat and long duration cooking method.

Grilling is also a dry heat process. The beauty of it is that it leads to Maillard browning of the surface of the vegetables, which dramatically enhances their flavor. The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between an amino acid and a reducing sugar, and it's a method important in both the preparation and presentation of vegetables and meats. The chemist Louis Camille Maillard was the first to describe the method in the 1910's, but of course grilling has been used since the invention of cooking.

For grilling choose vegetables that take well to this preparation method such as peppers, eggplant, squash, tomatoes, corn on the cob, potatoes, carrots, mushrooms, onions, and so forth. The vegetables you choose may need to be cut to cook evenly and finish cooking at approximately the same time. Alternatively you could begin with the vegetables that take the longest to cook - denser vegetables such as potatoes or peppers will take longer than moisture-filled ones such as tomatoes.

Put the lightly oiled vegetables directly on a very clean, medium heat gas or charcoal grill grate in order to get a nice browning reaction. Medium heat on a grill means you can hold your bare hand for about 3 seconds just above the grill surface before it becomes too hot. Only turn the vegetables once during the cooking process and adjust the heat so as to brown and not burn; a subtle difference that makes food taste either good… or burned.

Once you remove the vegetables from the grill, season them appropriately, drizzle with some good quality olive oil, and you will have a healthy grilled vegetable platter as an attractive and appetizing complement to meat or fish.

Lots of vegetables we usually don't associate with grilling benefit from this cooking method and provide a new eating experience. We love grilling romaine lettuce for a grilled Caesar salad. Wash the romaine first but keep it somewhat wet between the leaves before grilling.

Cut each heart of romaine in half lengthwise so that the root holds all the leaves together. Lightly brush the cut side of the romaine pieces with olive oil. Put the romaine cut side down on a medium heat grill. The cut side will slightly brown while the water kept between the leaves will steam the inside of the romaine. After a couple of minutes remove the romaine pieces without turning and move them to a presentation plate. Apply seasoning and your favorite Caesar Salad dressing, or make your own by exploring the Internet for a recipe. Finish with some Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, freshly grated. Voila, your guests will be impressed.

To find high quality vegetables for grilling, come to the Farmers Market, held every Saturday from 3:00 - 4:30 p.m. in the courtyard at El Mercado Mall, 712 N. 77 Sunshine Strip in Harlingen.