Veggies on the grill can be an entree or a side dish

Summer brings a familiar lineup of vegetables to market, many of which make natural partners. The classic Provençal dish ratatouille marries eggplant, zucchini and tomato into a chunky stew tasting of France. Those same vegetables taste more like Texas when tossed with cumin, Mexican oregano and cayenne and cooked over a hot flame on skewers alongside chunks of chicken marinated for fajitas. You can find these in the meat department of most grocery stores.

Potatoes are fussy to cook directly over a grill, but they tenderize nicely when wrapped in a foil parcel where they can steam. We’ve combined potatoes with bacon, onion and garlic and slices of smoked sausage — just skip the meat if you want these to be a vegetarian side dish — to make fun and playful food that’s perfect for the grill or just as easy to tuck into the embers of a camp fire or fire pit.