VEGETABLE SKEWERS IN THREE-HERB PESTO OVER BABY GREENS

This recipe for grilled vegetables gets a special zest from the three-herb pesto sauce to be put on the vegetable skewers. It's a great vegetarian dish or as a side dish to accompany the traditional barbecue fare.

 For the skewers

6 shiitake or button mushrooms, stemmed and halved

1 small zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 12 cubes

1 medium purple onion, quartered and cut into 12 cubes

12 cherry tomatoes

 

For the herb pesto

½ cup packed basil leaves

½ cup packed tarragon leaves

½ cup snipped chives

2 small garlic cloves, peeled

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

½ teaspoon fennel seeds, coarsely crushed in a mortar

½ teaspoon dried red pepper flakes (optional)

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

 

To serve

3 cups mesclun (mixed greens), washed and dried

1 lemon, cut into wedges

 

Make the skewers: If using wooden skewers, soak 4 wooden skewers in water to cover for 30 minutes; drain. Thread the mushrooms, zucchini, onion, and tomatoes onto the skewers, alternating 3 pieces of each on each skewer. Heat a grill to a high flame.

Make the pesto: Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a blender. With the motor running, add the olive oil in a thin stream until emulsified; taste for salt, adjust if needed, and set aside. Brush the skewered vegetables with 2 tablespoons of the pesto. Grill, turning as needed to cook evenly, until the vegetables are lightly charred on the outside and tender, 5 to 10 minutes total.

 

To serve: Line a platter with the mesclun. Place the skewers over the mesclun. Pour on some of the remaining pesto, garnish with the lemon wedges, and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature, passing additional herb pesto around the table. Serves 4

 

Recipe by Micol Negrin, published in The Italian Grill