Tips for Direct-Grilling Vegetables

If you've never tried grilling vegetables, let this week's tips help you master this technique.

Before grilling, rinse, trim, cut up, and precook vegetables as directed below. To precook vegetables, bring a small amount of water to a boil in a saucepan; add the desired vegetables and simmer, covered, for the time specified in the list below. Drain well.

Test for medium or high temperature on grill. Brush vegetables with olive oil, margarine, or butter. Place the vegetables on a lightly oiled grilling tray or vegetable-grilling basket, on a piece of heavy foil, or directly on the grill rack (perpendicular to the grates, directly over preheated coals). Grill the vegetables, uncovered, for the amount of time given below or until tender, turning occasionally. Monitor the grilling closely so vegetables don't char.

• Asparagus: Snap off and discard the tough bases of the stems. Precook for 3 to 4 minutes, then tie the asparagus in bundles with strips of cooked green onion tops. Grill 3 to 5 minutes.

• Corn on the Cob: Remove the husks; scrub ears to remove the silk; rinse and pat the ears dry. Do not precook. Grill 20 to 30 minutes.

• Fennel: Snip off the feathery leaves. Cut off the stems. Precook for 10 minutes, then cut into 6 to 8 wedges. Grill 8 minutes.

• Leeks: Cut off the green tops; trim the bulb roots and remove the tough outer layers. Precook for 10 minutes or until tender; then halve lengthwise. Grill 5 minutes.

• Mushrooms, whole or sliced: Do not precook. Grill 7 to 10 minutes

• New potatoes: Halve the potatoes crosswise. Precook for 10 minutes or until almost tender. Grill 10 to 12 minutes.

• Sweet peppers: Remove the stems. Quarter the peppers. Remove the seeds and membranes. Cut into 1-inch-wide strips. Do not precook. Grill 8 to 10 minutes.

• Zucchini or yellow summer squash: Cut off the ends. Quarter the squash lengthwise. Do not precook. Grill 5 to 6 minutes.