Under the Median: SIX Tasty, Easy Veggie Recipes for Cooking Outdoors

The mid-summer heat makes me want to work hard to keep the heat outside! That means cooking outdoors. So, let's see how many recipes we can find for the nine fruits and vegetables in my CSA box.

What did I get?

Summer squash
Tomatoes
Onions
Carrots
Beets
Potatoes
Sweet corn
Green beans
Blueberries

Recipe #1: Blueberry Cobbler on the grill!

Let's start with dessert! Grab your cast iron skillet! It's time for blueberry cobbler on the grill! There are a couple of surprise ingredients: ginger snaps and lemon. Yes! You can create this wonderful confection right on your gas or charcoal grill! Who knew?

Recipe #2 - Balsamic Grilled Zucchini

Balsamic grilled zucchini: Slice summer squash lengthwise, season with herbs, and drizzle with a good quality balsamic vinegar. Throw it on the grill for a few minutes. Sounds wonderful, doesn't it?

Recipe #3 - Corn on the grill!

Nothing screams "summer!" like corn on the cob. In this article, Food Network chef, Bobby Flay, gives you all his best tips for grilling perfect sweet corn for your next get together.

Recipe #4 - Honey Glazed Carrots

Carrots from the farmers' market are sweeter than store bought carrots. I don't know if it's because they are fresher, or smaller, or if it's just my imagination. But, as far as my kids are concerned, eating raw, locally-grown carrots is nirvana. As if that wasn't enough, when you cook them, a special magic occurs and the natural sweetness is actually intensified. It sounds crazy, but it's true! Try honey glazed grilled carrots on the grill and let me know if you think I'm right!

Recipe #5 - Beet foil packets!

I showed you how to do roast beets in the oven in this post. Grilling them is just as simple. Wash, quarter, season, drizzle with balsamic vinegar if you wish, wrap in foil, and stick them on the grill over indirect heat for 30-40 minutes. Voila!

Don't forget the beet greens!

Although the summertime heat is beginning to wilt the leafy green tops of vegetables, there's still enough goodness to salvage! So, don't throw out those greens! Cut them off, de-stem, wash, cut into smaller pieces, and they are ready to use.

Here's what I do!

Okay, this uses the stove. But, it's for a short period of time. Saute a bit of onion and garlic in some water. Then add your greens, with a little more water. Watch your greens carefully to be sure that they don't burn! When they are wilted, it's time to take them off the burner. My Grandma added a splash of vinegar to her cooked greens. You can try a little lemon if you'd like instead of vinegar. Adding nothing is fine, too. Just be sure to eat your greens! They are good for you!

Recipe #6 - Veggie Foil Packet Dinner

I decided to use my potatoes to create a traditional campfire treat! Foil Vegetable Packets!

This recipe should take you back to your Boy Scout or Girl Scout days, when you made foil packet dinners on overnight camping trips. Traditionally cooked over a campfire, you can also bake them on a grill.

You won't believe how I cooked my foil packet dinners!

That's right! I have a solar oven. My older boys designed and built it about ten years ago as a 4H project. It is a HOOT to use! The packets take about five hours and bake at between 225 and 250 degrees in my oven. I have step-by-step instructions, complete with filling and seasoning ideas all written out for you in Veggie Foil Packets Cooked In My Solar Oven.

Don't have a solar oven? No worries! I give you instructions in the post for both your grill and conventional oven as well.