A week of grilling: Grilled zucchini

Before Memorial Day, which many consider the official beginning of summer, I have decided to share a week of grilling recipes. It is time to open the swimming pool, it's the end of school and it is time to dust off the grill and "get cooking."

In my family we think grilling is the only way to cook in the heat of summer. It is far better to heat up the deck than the kitchen. I also think most grilled foods just taste better.

My husband is the grill chef in our family and has graciously agreed to cook the elements of a grilled meal to share all this week.

So this is grilling week and I want to begin with zucchini. It might be an unlikely vegetable to grill but I think almost any vegetable can be grilled successfully.

First slice the zucchini in rounds and spear onto small skewers. Brush on a grilling sauce for flavor and to keep the zucchini from sticking to the grill. My grilling sauce recipe follows:

Grilling Sauce

1/2 cup olive oil (or if you prefer, use a lighter oil like canola or almond oil)

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

2 large cloves of garlic

Salt and pepper to taste

Add any other spice you like (my family doesn't like too many spices in grilled food so this recipe is not spicy at all.)

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend on high until smooth. Salt and pepper the vegetable to be grilled, brush on the sauce, then place on a hot grill. Store the leftover sauce in the refrigerator and use to brush on other vegetables.

Put zucchini on a hot grill and watch it carefully. It really shouldn't take more than 15 or at the most 20 minutes to grill zucchini. It is hard to give an exact time because all grills are different.

Turn it often. It should have nice grill marks and will be soft but should be slightly firm. If it falls off the skewer, it has been cooked too long.

I think this is nicely cooked. Tomorrow: Grilled Mushrooms.