Toss some veggies on the grill.

Fall harvest is time to explore plant flavors

The upcoming holiday season can have a way of extending the belt line, but there is a great way to pre-empt the calorie comas by eating a little more healthfully now with an abundant array of fall vegetables on the grill.

Winter squash varieties, such as acorn and butternuts as big as a bowling pin, are in prime season, as are root vegetables such as beets, carrots, radishes and turnips. It’s also a good time to switch over from the traditional potato options to hearty sweet potatoes.

And though they are available year-round in the grocery aisles, broccoli, cauliflower and heads of cabbage are emerging from Texas gardens.

Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with cooking these vegetables in the oven. A properly roasted veggie at 400 to 425 degrees is good eatin’. But in South Texas, the grilling season never ends, and the piping hot charcoal adds another flavor layer with the char and smoke.

Vegetables also have a pretty quick cook time, so they can accompany a few pieces of meat, or you can go all vegged out and have them done in 10 to 20 minutes. Just make sure they never touch a piece of pork or chicken that isn’t properly cooked to temperature, for sanitary reasons.

“I think the big thing is to just get creative with what’s out there and let them take in the flavor,” said Kathy Pullin of Pullin Premium BBQ in Seguin. “Vegetables won’t react like meat does with a smoke ring, but they are straightforward to use and an easy addition to whatever else you might be cooking.”

Kin Man Hui / Staff photographer Take advantage of the bounty of fall produce and put it on the grill for enhanced flavor and experimentation.