Getting veggies ready for the grill

I noticed something yesterday. It happened around 5 o'clock when I was looking out the window: It was still light out. There was plenty of light, in fact. It sure does sneak up on you. Before you know it, the days are going to be long and the air filled with the sweet smell of barbecue. Not long to go now. It's just around the corner. Of course that means one important thing: grilling time.

As I get older and more seasoned with the grill, I realize some things that I may have missed in my younger years. Namely that grilled vegetables are good. Really good. So save some room on the grill, move those dogs and burgers aside and throw on a batch of veggies too.

The Grill Basket with Lid is a deceptively simple device that makes grilling veggies a snap. It is constructed of heavy-gauge carbon steel with a nonstick coating (watch that high heat, folks). The 12-inch diameter of the pan combines with the lid to form a total height of 6 inches. The small size and unobtrusive handles mean that it can be used on practically any grill. Both the lid and pan are dishwasher safe.

We all know the benefits of eating our vegetables, but when the time to cook food over an open fire comes along, we tend to gravitate toward the heavy stuff. With the ease of grilling up some veggies too, there is no reason why you can't have both. Now if summer would just get here already.