Anna Sultana’s Roasted Potatoes and Vegetables, Maltese Style

I’ve been watching shows like Property Brothers and Love It or List It.

it’s amazing to see what young couples now expect in their first home.

When my parents and I immigrated to America in 1950 we shared an apartment with Pop’s brother, his wife and their two children for two years.

The apartment had a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room and two bedrooms.

My cousin is a month younger than I am, so we shared a crib.

No, the bathroom did not have two sinks.

The kitchen did have its own stove.

Ma used to tell me about how Grandma would send her to the baker's with anything that needed an oven, such as their Sunday roast and the vegetables.

Then, after a few hours, Ma would return with the hot roasted meat and vegetables, along with a few loaves of fresh bread. 

After Grandma had added a few spices, and did a few last minute touches, another Sunday dinner was ready. 

Ma appreciated having an oven in the house.

She did miss the gossip, though.

                        Roasted Potatoes

Cut into wedges

1 pound potatoes

Put them in a large bowl

Add

1/2 Cup extra virgin olive oil

1 Tablespoon dried rosemary

Place the potatoes in a large roasting pan.

Pre-heat the oven to 400º F

Sprinkle over the potatoes

1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon  pepper

Cover with aluminum foil.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Remove the foil and bake for 1 hour or until potatoes reach the desired colour.

                        Roasted Mixed Vegetables 1

Grease a large cookie sheet

Preheat oven to 350º F

Put in a large bowl 

1 eggplant, sliced

1 green pepper, sliced

2 marrow, sliced

2 tomatoes, quartered

1 large onion, quartered 

3 garlic cloves, chopped 

Combine in a small bowl 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Sprinkle the spices over the vegetables.

Drizzle over the vegetables

2 tablespoons olive oil 

the juice of 1 lemon 

Mix well.

Put the vegetables on the baking sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Take the pan out and turn the vegetables so they roast evenly.

Bake for 45 minutes.

Take the pan out and check if the vegetables are done.

Return to oven if you'd like them more cooked.

Serve hot, warm or cold.

                        Roasted Mixed Vegetables 2

Grease a large baking dish

Preheat oven to 375º F

Place in prepared dish 

2 to 3 eggplants, rinsed

4 to 5 onions

5 to 6 potatoes, quartered

4 cloves garlic, peeled

Pierce the eggplants with a fork.

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.

When the eggplant feels soft, remove pan from the oven.

The eggplants’ skin should be wrinkled.

Let cool 15 minutes.

Peel the eggplant and slice.

Put the slices and onions in a large bowl.

Add

1/4 Cup olive oil

1/3 Cup wine vinegar

1 teaspoon salt 

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 Cup parsley

Mash all ingredients together.

Cover and place in the refrigerator.

Serve cold on couscous or pasta, with grilled or roasted meat or fish.

It can also be served as a meal eaten with bread, anchovies, tuna and olives. 

Carmela Soprano’s Vegetable and Pasta Courses

Okay... you've had a chance to view and pick a few of Carmela's appetizers.

The next course could be vegetables.

Either in a salad or a special dish.

A vegetarian course is always a safe bet.

You never know if someone has decided to avoid meat, whether by choice or for health reasons.

But fresh vegetables well prepared and beautifully served are usually safe.

And, during Spring and Summer, they are an absolute treat.

Italians can serve their families a completely filling and satisfying dinner without having to go anywhere near the meat counter.

Picture a starch covered with a delicious sauce and served with beans or cheese.

You might even go straight from the pasta to dessert.

If anyone is still a bit peckish after all those carbs!

Carmela Soprano's Roasted Pepper Salad / Broiled Pepper Salad

Carmela Soprano's Red, White and Green Salad

Carmela Soprano's Caesar Salad and Homemade Croutons (for 6 or 50)

Carmela Soprano's Insalata di Mare / Seafood Salad with Dressing (for 6 or 50)

Carmela Soprano's Insalata Caprese (Mozzarella and Tomato Salad)

Carmela Soprano's Verdure alla Griglia - Grilled or Broiled Vegetables

Carmela Soprano's Eggplant Parmigiana (for 6)

Carmela Soprano's Giambotta - Meatless Vegetable Stew

Zucchini: Carmela Soprano's stew Googootz Giambotta 

and Anna Sultana's Minestra tal-Haxix (soup, Maltese Style)

Carmela Soprano's Panzerotti - Neopolitan Style Potato Croquettes

****

Carmela Soprano's Pasta e Patate (Pasta and Potatoes)

Carmela Soprano's Pasta Fagioli (Pasta and Beans) l Preparing Dried Beans

Carmela Soprano's Pasta E Ceci (Pasta and Chickpeas) l Preparing Dried Beans

Carmela Soprano's Pizza - Ah Beetz' (for 8 or 50)

Carmela Soprano's Sfinciuni - Sicilian Onion Pizza (for 10 or 50)

Carmela Soprano's Manicotti with Ricotta Filling / Filling for Large Shells

Carmela Soprano's Baked Ziti In Bianco and Bechamel Sauce

Carmela Soprano's Vegetarian Baked Ziti

Anna Sultana's Timballo with Pastry - Pasta Casserole, Maltese Style

I posted Ma’s Timpana recipe two years ago.

If you’re avoiding carbs, don’t go there.

Timpana is a pie filled with pasta, not fruit.

Timpana is a salute to carbs.

And so good!!

A few months ago I posted Ma’s recipe for Timballo.

If you’re trying to cut back on the carbs, this is a good choice.

It has pasta, but instead of pastry, the pasta is covered with eggplant.

As with most Maltese recipes, there are Timballo variations.

One variation is a mix of Timpana and Timballo. 

Really… Timpana with eggplant.

How perfect is that?

Hints:

Usually Ma used ziti.

Sometimes penne.

In a pinch, elbow.

You want something that can be filled by the sauce. 

Spaghetti would just lay there.

Not a good thing.

In a rush?

Roll out

2 400 g packages of flaky or puff pastry

Line the bottom and sides of a baking dish with 2/3 of the pastry.

Pour in the macaroni sauce mixture.

Cover the top with the remaining pastry and decorate with trimmings.

Add the egg wash for a nice gloss.

If you don’t have veal, a mixture of the pork and beef will be fine.

Or you can use either alone.

                        Timbale

Serves 6 to 8

For the pastry:

In a large mixer bowl place

3 3/4 Cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 Cup + 3 Tablespoons cold butter, cut into cubes 

Beat until crumbly.

Add 

2 eggs

Mix well.

Add 

1/4 Cup milk, about - enough to make a firm ball of dough.

Let the dough rest.

For the filling:

In a large pot place

4 quarts water

salt to taste

Bring to a boil.

Add

1 pound macaroni

Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente.

Drain the pasta, run it under cold water, drain again and set aside.

Wash and trim the ends from

2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound)

Slice them lengthwise, about 1/4 inch thick.

Place the slices in a colander or on a large cookie sheet.

Sprinkle them with 

salt

Let drain for 30 minutes to remove bitterness.

Preheat the oven to 350º F

Rinse the eggplant slices and pat dry.

Place them on the cookie sheets.

Lightly coat the slices with extra virgin olive oil.

Bake them for 10 minutes at 350º F  

Set them aside.

While the eggplant is baking, slice

1 pound mozzarella

Set aside.

For the sauce:

In a dutch oven pour

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Add

5 cloves garlic, chopped finely

Stirring constantly, fry until the garlic is lightly browned.

Add

1 1/2 pounds ground meat (a mixture of beef, pork and veal)

Fry until lightly browned.

Remove excess fat.

Add

1/2 Cup white wine

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 Tablespoons fresh parsley (1 Tablespoon dry)

2 Cups peas

1 28 ounce can tomatoes, chopped

Cover and let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes.

Remove the bay leaves.

Stir the pasta into the meat sauce.

For the assembly:

Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan

Roll out 2/3 of the pastry into a circle about 1/4 inch thick.

Line the bottom and the sides of the pan with the pastry.

Trim and remove any dough hanging over the sides.

Line the sides of the pan with most of the eggplant slices, allowing them to hang over the sides. 

Cover the bottom of the pan with eggplant slices.

Add a layer each of

mozzarella

pasta

eggplant 

mozzarella

pasta 

mozzarella

Flip over the filling the eggplant that is hanging from the sides of the pan.

Roll out the remaining pastry into a circle about 1/4 inch thick.

Place the circle of dough over the pan to cover the Timballo. 

Trim and remove any excess dough.

Using either your fingers or a fork, seal the side and top dough edges together.

Decorate the top of the Timballo with the dough trimmings.

Pre-heat the oven to 350º F

In a cup beat

1 egg

Brush the beaten egg over the top crust.

Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, until nicely browned.

Allow to cool 15 minutes.

Timbale is best served hot.

But it is also delicious cold and is great for picnics.

Want to avoid the pastry?

Ma’s Imqarrun il-forn (Baked Macaroni, Maltese Style) is also delicious.

Anna Sultana's Timbale - Pasta Casserole, Maltese Style

No doubt about it, winter is coming.

It’s getting cold.

To stay warm we have to burn calories.

Try to exist on salads and you’ll freeze to death.

Nope, carbohydrates are what we need now.

Ah….. carbohydrates!

Back in February, 2010, I compared Carmela's Baked Ziti to Ma's Timpana.

In those days my posts weren't very heavy on actual instructions.

I would write lines like 

Maltese cooking is heavy on simple carbs. Maltese go beyond simple into downright retarded. A pan filled with macaroni is not enough starch. Oh, no. What makes a Timpana unique is it is baked like an apple pie.

If you want to make Ma’s Timpana, here’s the recipe.

A recipe that’s similar to Timpana is Timbale.

It has the same amount of starch, but more vegetables.

And it is perfect for when eggplants are on sale.

Hints:

About the macaroni…

Usually Ma used ziti.

Sometimes penne.

In a pinch, elbow.

You want something that can be filled by the sauce. 

Spaghetti would just lay there.

Not a good thing.

When laying the eggplant in the bundt pan start from the centre of the pan so that a part of the slice will hang outside the pan. 

                        Timbale

Serves 5 - 6

Wash and trim the ends from

2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound)

Slice them lengthwise, about 1/4 inch thick.

Place the slices in a colander or on a large cookie sheet.

Sprinkle them with 

salt

Let drain for 30 minutes to remove bitterness.

Rinse the eggplants and pat dry.

Preheat the oven to 350º

Lightly coat the slices with

Extra Virgin olive oil

Place them on the cookie sheets.

Bake them for 10 minutes at 350º.  

Set them aside.

While the eggplant is baking, cube

1/2 pound mortadella

1 pound mozzarella

Set aside.

In a dutch oven pour

2 Tablespoons olive oil

Add

1 onion, chopped

Fry until translucent.

Add

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork

Fry until lightly browned.

Remove excess fat.

Add

1/2 pound peas

1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon salt, more or less

Cover and let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes.

While the sauce is simmering, in a large pot place

4 quarts water

salt to taste

Bring to a boil.

Add

1 pound macaroni, about

Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente.

Drain the pasta, run it under cold water, drain again and return it to the pot.

Stir in a few spoonfuls of the sauce.

Line a 10" x 5" bundt pan with all of the eggplant slices.

Add half of the pasta followed by half of the meat sauce.

Sprinkle with half of the cubed mortadella and mozzarella.

1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated  

Add the remaining half of the pasta followed by the meat sauce.

Sprinkle with the remaining cubed mortadella and mozzarella.

1/4 Cup Parmesan cheese, grated 

Flip the part of the eggplant slices that is hanging over the rim of the pan over the pasta / cheese mixture.

Preheat oven to 375º           

Bake for 45 minutes.

Allow to cool 15 minutes.

Invert over serving platter.

Timbale is best served hot.

But it is also delicious cold and is great for picnics.

Anna Sultana's Tuna Pie, Maltese Style

About a week ago I posted Ma's recipe for Baked Tunny.

Looks like it's become a popular recipe.

It's one of the month's top posts.

That's great to see.

That post has some information on big tunny and little tunny. 

Yes, there is such a thing as little tunny.

I'm not making some kind of gangster joke.

Yes, I miss Carmela and the boys, too.

Fresh tunny, big and little, isn't easy to find in some areas.

Like around here in Winnipeg.

This being the bald prairies and all.

But, if you can get tunny here's another recipe.

And if you can't, so it goes.

You can precook a few thick slices of fish.

As this recipe calls for cooked fish, it's also a nice way to use leftovers.

Hints:

If you're substituting canned tuna, do the math so you get about 500 grams 

(a little more than a pound).

If you've just caught a fresh little tunny, don't forget that they should be bled 

and iced soon after being caught.

After the fresh little tunny has been prepared, slice and fry the fish steaks in oil 

and remove the bones.

Then continue with the recipe.

Aubergine is another name for eggplant.

Some folks find eggplant has a bitter taste.

Slice the eggplant about 1/2 inch thick and place the slices on a paper towel.

Sprinkle the slices with salt and let sit 15 minutes.

Then wipe off the salted surface.

It helps.

The cauliflower should be cleaned and cut into florets, hopefully about the same size.

That way they'll cook evenly.

                        Tuna Pie

Serves 4

In a large saucepan fry

1 large onion, diced

Add

4 large tomatoes, quartered

2 green peppers, chopped

1 aubergine, sliced and prepared (see above)

1 small cauliflower, prepared

Add

500 g fresh tuna which had been cooked or canned

100 g green olives

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

grease 9 inch pie pan          

preheat oven to 400º           

Line the bottom and sides of the greased dish wish

with 3/4 of 400 g flaky or puff pastry

Spoon fish vegetable mixture into the pie dish.

Cover the mixture with the remaining 1/4 of the flaky or puff pastry.

Brush with 

milk or beaten egg

Prick all over with a fork.

Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Tuna pie is best hot.

But it's also handy for a picnic.

Anna Sultana's Bringiel Mimli II - Stuffed Eggplant, Maltese Style

Got an e mail about a recipe I posted about two years ago.

It was for Ma's Brinġiel Mimli.

That's stuffed eggplant, Maltese style.

Is there a variation?

Of course there is.

Eggplant isn't quite as popular as potatoes, tomatoes and corn.

At least not for many North Americans.

Which is a shame.

Eggplant is low in fat and carbohydrates. 

A 1998 study in Brazil found that eggplant juice reduces weight and cholesterol.

Don't get excited - if you're on medication stay with it.

And eggplant has a weird side...

There's a bit of nicotine in it. 

Don't get scared - 20 pounds of eggplant has as much nicotine as a cigarette.

But some people do get itchy skin or mouth, mild headache, and stomach upset after handling or eating eggplant. 

Eggplant is high in histamines.

Cooking gets rid of most of the problem, but some people still react.

So, if you get allergic reactions, be a little careful if this is your first time.

I'm hoping you will try eggplant and that you won't have any problems.

Because eggplant can be delicious.

Especially the way Ma cooked it.

A small hint: 

After slicing the eggplants lengthwise, sprinkle the 2 cut surfaces with salt

and let them sit 15 minutes.

Then wipe off the salt.  This will remove the bitter taste.

If you want this vegetarian style, you can use that 'veggie ground round'.

Add a little olive oil to replace the animal fat.

                        

                         Brinġiel mimli

                       

grease a baking dish         

preheat oven to 425º        

bake 45 minutes

Wash

4 eggplants

Halve length-wise and prepare (see above)

Parboil for 5 minutes.

Let cool and scoop out some of the pulp.

(Go easy - you want a firm boat-shaped container left.)

In a large deep skillet pour

2 Tablespoons olive oil 

Heat oil over medium heat.

Add 

200 grams ground pork

50 grams bacon, chopped

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 Tablespoon parsley, chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 Cup bread crumbs

Fill the eggplants with the mixture.

Place them, filling side up, in the baking dish

Sprinkle over top of filling

grated cheese (Romano or Parmesan or a combination)

Bake about 45 minutes, depending on how crusty you like the top surface.

Serve hot with your favourite pasta and sauce and a salad.

Hot rice or a crusty loaf of bread would also work.

Carmela Soprano's Neopolitan Style Stuffed Peppers

Father's Day is this weekend.

Yes, we've covered main courses.

And we've touched on desserts.

Now for a vegetable.

You wouldn't know it to look at him, but Paulie Walnuts has a sweet side.

He said he often makes a potatoes and egg sandwich to improve the guys' morale.

They are in a high stress line of work, after all.

His chapter My Nucci in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook has nice easy recipes.

Except for the recipe for Neopolitan Style Stuffed Peppers.

It's not hard to make, but it does take a bit of time.

About Father's Day...

You could do the peppers' prep work the day before and refrigerate them.

Or you could prepare them while chatting with the company.

I mean, stuffing peppers is not brain surgery.

And sitting together to prepare food is a good thing.

Want another do-together recipe?

My Ma's ravjul were often made at family gatherings.

Small, deep-fried ravjuletti are popular in Malta as an appetizer.

I don't know what happened when I counted the recipes.

I know this was supposed to be the last recipe.

But, after this recipe, there'll be another Neopolitan vegetable recipe.

Think of it as a bonus.

Hints:

Look for oil-cured black olives.

Gaeta olives would work well in this recipe.

This recipe is a bit salty.

If that can cause a problem, cut back on the capers.

                        Neopolitan Style Stuffed Peppers

Serves 6

Trim the ends from

2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound)

Cut them into 3/4 inch cubes.

Place them in a colander over a plate.

Sprinkle them with 

salt

Let drain for an hour to remove the bitterness.

Oil a baking pan that is just large enough to hold the upright peppers.

With a small knife, cut out the stems from

6 large red, yellow or green bell peppers

Remove the seeds and the white membrane.

Rinse the eggplants and pat dry with paper towels.

In a large deep skillet pour

1/2 Cup olive oil 

Heat oil over medium heat.

Add the eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Stir in

3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped

3/4 Cup black olives, pitted and chopped

6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped

3 Tablespoons rinsed and drained capers

1 large garlic clove, finely chopped

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

pepper to taste

Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes.

Stir in

1/2 Cup plain dry bread crumbs

Remove from heat.

Preheat the oven to 450º

Stuff the eggplant mixture into the peppers.

Stand the peppers in the prepared pan.

Sprinkle with

1 Tablespoon plain dry bread crumbs

Drizzle with

3 Tablespoons olive oil  

Pour around the peppers

1 Cup water

Bake for 60 minutes, until the peppers are tender and lightly browned.

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Would I make Neopolitan Style Stuffed Peppers again?

You have to ask?  I'm Maltese.

We practically invented stuffed vegetables.

And I can imagine sitting and making them with Ma, like when we made ravioli.

One recipe down.  One more to go. 

Carmela Soprano's Giambotta - Meatless Vegetable Stew

Friday in Lent.

Time to eat fish.

Or a nice vegetarian dinner.

Whenever I want a taste of what I had as a kid, I turn to Junior's chapter The Soprano Family Tradition in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

Nice basic dishes that folks off the boat survived on until they settled into the country.

Nothing fancy, just healthy and filling.

Lots of pasta with seasonal vegetables.

And there's nothing wrong with that.

It doesn't seem there's a year that goes by without some doctor saying that the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest.

Families used to be bigger, so this recipe feeds eight.

Perfect if you're having company.

If not, stews and soups always taste great reheated.

Some folks find eggplant has a bitter taste.

Slice the eggplant about 1/2 inch thick and place the slices on a paper towel.

Sprinkle the slices with salt and let sit 15 minutes.

Then wipe off the salted surface.

It helps.

If you don't have fresh basil - and my Ma didn't - a tablespoon of dried will do the job.

                        Giambotta

Serves 8

In a dutch oven place

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 medium red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into bite-sized pieces

2 large tomatoes, cored and cut into small pieces

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces

1 medium eggplant, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 large onion, diced

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 Cup water

Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in

4 or 5 fresh basil leaves

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Would I make Giambotta again?

Sure, with dried basil, like Ma used to make.

And she'd serve this with pasta, rice or polenta.

Crusty bread is nice, too.

One recipe down.  Thirty-six more to go. 

Carmela Soprano's Eggplant Parmigiana

In Canada we recently celebrated Thanksgiving.

Here in Winnipeg we just had a few snow flurries.

Christmas is on its way.

It's time to get ready for winter and family dinners.

Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook has something from almost everybody.

Including his missus, Charmaine.

Along with a page on party tips and a menu, she gave a few recipes

in her chapter Cooking for the Whole Famiglia.

Frankly, I like her recipes better than the recipes in Artie's chapter.

And I hope you'll enjoy them, too.

Just so you know:

This recipe calls for 2 1/2 Cups of Marinara Sauce.

A few days before making Eggplant Parmigiana make a double recipe of the sauce 

and serve half with your favorite pasta.

Refrigerate the leftover sauce and have it ready for this recipe.

The gang will never know they are eating leftovers.

Also...

After you've constructed the layers in the 9 x 13 pan, you can cover the casserole and refrigerate it overnight.

Remove it from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking.

                        Eggplant Parmigiana

Serves 6

Trim the ends from

2 medium eggplants (about 1 pound)

Cut them in 1/4 inch slices.

Place the slices in a colander or on a large cookie sheet.

Sprinkle them with 

salt

Let drain for 30 minutes to remove bitterness.

Rinse the eggplants and pat dry.

In a large deep skillet pour

1/2 inch oil (olive or vegetable)

Heat over medium heat and fry the slices in a single layer, turning once.

Drain on paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 350º

Have on hand 

2 1/2 Cups of Marinara Sauce

8 ounces mozzarella, thinly sliced

1/2 Cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

In a 9 x 13 inch pan spread a thin layer of about 1/3 the Marinara sauce.

Make a layer of half of the eggplant slices. 

Top with a layer of 1/2 the mozzarella slices.

Add another layer of 1/3 of the sauce.

Sprinkle over that 1/2 of the grated cheese.

Repeat the layering of eggplant, mozzarella and sauce.

Sprinkle over that the remaining 1/2 of the grated cheese.

Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until the mozzarella is melted.

Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Would I make Eggplant Parmigiana again?

Sure.

It's great when you've invited vegetarian guests.

And non-vegetarians love it, too.

One recipe down.  Seventy-four more to go. 

Carmela Soprano's Verdure alla Griglia - Grilled or Broiled Vegetables

When you barbecue, are your vegetables same old, same old?

You know...

Corn on the cob, potato salad, green salad.

Would Tony approve of that?

Hell no.

Grilled vegetables can be exciting!!

Really.

Check out Grilling - Italian Style in The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

If the vegetables are getting browned too quickly, move them to a cooler spot.

This recipe should feed eight.

If there's a vegetarian coming, maybe you should double amounts.

This recipe also works well in the broiler.

                        Verdure alla Griglia 

Trim and cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

1 medium eggplant

Sprinkle generously with 

salt

Place the slices in a colander and let drain for 60 minutes.

Rinse the slices and pat dry.

While the eggplant is draining, prepare the other vegetables:

1 large red or Spanish onion, cut into 1/2 inch thick slices

4 large mushrooms, remove stems

4 medium tomatoes, cored and cut in half

2 large red or yellow peppers, cored, seeded, cut into quarters

Generously brush all vegetables with

olive oil

Sprinkle with

salt and pepper

Prepare a medium hot charcoal fire.

Place the grill rack 4 inches from the heat.

Place the vegetables on the grill rack.

Cook, turning once, until tender and browned, about 15 minutes.

Arrange the vegetables on a platter.

Sprinkle with 

oil

6 fresh basil leaves, torn into bits

Serve hot or at room temperature.

Would I make Verdure alla Griglia again?

Of course.

I'm not feeding wild cats.

Veggies are good.

Really.

One recipe down.  Eighty-seven more to go.