Grilled Potatoes, Peppers, & Onions with Grilled Balsamic-Glazed Asparagus

Firing Up the Grill

After a weekend filled with rock shows and yard and house work, I decided to fall back to one of the greatest relaxation techniques known to mankind... grabbing a beer (or two), firing up the grill, and making the patio furniture feel loved and appreciated. It was not an evening for fanciness—just laid-back comfort and laid-back comfort food—like grilled New York Strip steak with herb compound butter and some lovely and simple grilled vegetables.

Both of these vegetable recipes are very imprecise, but they are honestly so simple they don't need to be any more specific. The potato recipe is really a base to start with and can be altered to suit your preferences very easily.

Adjust the ratio of potatoes to peppers to onions to your liking, use whatever fresh herbs you prefer, add garlic... whatever.

Simple Grilled Potatoes, Peppers, and Onions

• cute, wee little potatoes of your choice (I used Baby Dutch Yellow potatoes, fingerlings would also work great as would baby reds or larger yellow or red potatoes cut down into 1" wedges)
• red bell pepper, cut into bite-sized pieces
• small spring onion bulbs, cut into rings
• olive oil
• Kosher salt
• freshly cracked black pepper
• several sprigs of fresh rosemary

1. Prepare grill.
2. Combine the potatoes, peppers, and onion in a bowl. Toss with just enough olive oil to coat and season with salt & pepper to taste.
3. On a cookie sheet, lay out a sheet of foil large enough to hold the vegetables in a shallow layer, with a couple of inches extra around the edges.
4. Place the vegetables onto the foil, and top with the rosemary, distributing evenly. Top with another sheet of foil and roll up the edges to create a pouch.
5. Slide the pouch off of the cookie sheet onto the grill.
6. Let cook for 20–30 minutes, testing doneness with a knife. You want the potatoes to be tender, yet firm to avoid overcooking.

Grilled Balsamic-Glazed Asparagus

• 1 bunch asparagus
• olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• Kosher salt
  
• freshly cracked black pepper
• red pepper flakes

1. Prepare the grill.
2. Toss the asparagus with just enough olive oil and vinegar to coat, and season to taste with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
3. Place a grill basket on the grill and pour the asparagus into the basket.
4. Grill for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus is tender but not mushy. Cooking time may vary a bit depending on the thickness of the asparagus stalks.