Squash, eggplant, tomatoes and peppers are plentiful. There’s nothing better than seasoned grilled vegetables served over rice or rolled up in a tortilla. Sometimes I just coat them in a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt, pepper and spices before grilling.

Depending on my mood, I usually use oregano and thyme, however, a little turmeric and cumin give them an Indian-cuisine flair.

When grilling beef, I like to marinade the tougher cuts. In that case, I use a sauce – either store-bought or making my own.

Teriyaki Beef and Vegetable Kabobs
1/3 c. soy sauce
1/3 c. rice wine vinegar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1-1/2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated
2 tsp. garlic, minced
2 club (or strip) steaks, bone, excess fat and connective tissues removed
1 onion, large cubed
4-5 squash (any variety), large cubed
1 pint, large grape tomatoes
2 bell peppers (green or red), large cubed
small package button mushrooms
2 Tbsp. avocado oil, or vegetable oil

Mix the ingredients soy sauce through garlic together to make the marinade. Reserve about a third of a cup for the vegetables. Cut the club steaks into 1-inch cubes. Place in a sealable bag and pour in the marinade. Refrigerate for 4-8 hours. Massage the contents periodically to make sure the marinade is evenly distributed.

In a separate bag, pour the reserved marinade and oil. Add chopped vegetables and massage to coat all. Marinate for about one hour.

When ready to cook, heat the grill for 10-15 minutes on high while preparing the skewers. I use metal skewers, but if using wooden, soak in water for 30 minutes before use.

I also skewer the meat separate from the vegetables. I prefer the vegetables to still have a little crunch, so I remove them once they have grill marks. I think that’s especially important with the squash and tomatoes since they can get really mushy when cooked too long.

For the meat, cook each kabob for about 10-15 minutes, making a quarter turn every 3-4 minutes. If the meat sticks to the grill when turning, wait. Generally the meat will release when it’s time to turn.

A sauce can be made with the leftover marinade. It is really important to bring it to a boil and then simmer for around 10 minutes to ensure all the meat juices have cooked.

Let the beef kabobs rest for 10 minutes. Then serve vegetables and beef over rice, drizzling with a little of the cooked marinade sauce.

The marinade can also be used with fruit. Just toss pitted peach halves, pineapple chunks, mango and even cantaloupe with marinade and then skewer.

Watch them closely and cook just until the grill marks show. The salty sweetness of the grilled fruits is amazing with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

If I can keep the grape berry moth at bay, I will have a terrific grape harvest this year. For the past few weeks, I’ve worked to manage the canopy. In a vineyard, the canopy refers to the leafy vines that grow up the trellis shading the grapes. They often get out of control causing loss of air flow and increase the risk of black rot. It also can create a nice safe haven for bird nests and other pests. Don’t get me wrong. I love birds, just not in the vineyard.

After working outside in the heat all day, I usually want a light salad or something cool for dinner. One evening I made a vegetable dish with tomatillos from the garden and corn that I received from a friend.

Tomatillo and Corn Salad with Avocado Dressing

Avocado Dressing:
1 avocado
1 lime, juiced
3 Tbsp. avocado oil
1 clove garlic
6-8 slices of pickled jalapeño peppers
1 tsp. salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 c. water

Blend all until smooth.

The salad consists of whatever fresh vegetables you prefer. I used the following.
4 tomatillos, chopped
4 ears of corn, cooked, cooled and kernels cut from the cob
3 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped
3 green onions, chopped
1 yellow squash, chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1 handful of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped
feta cheese for garnish

Just prepare the vegetables, drizzle with the avocado dressing and lightly sprinkle feta cheese on top. I recommend the feta is used sparingly since it can be rather salty.
The next morning I used the leftover salad for breakfast tacos for two.

Breakfast Tacos for Two
4 corn tortillas
1 tsp. avocado oil
2 eggs
jalapeño dressing
leftover vegetable salad
feta cheese crumbles
tomatillo salsa

Heat the avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the corn tortillas, turning each to lightly brown both sides. Remove them from the pan and onto two plates. Then scramble the eggs – a nonstick skillet works best. Divide the cooked eggs evenly between the four tortillas. Smear a little jalapeno dressing on each tortilla. Sprinkle leftover salad on each, along with a little feta cheese. Then top with tomatillo salsa. It was a super tasty, yet low-calorie breakfast.

Tomatillo Salsa
8-10 tomatillos, halved or quartered
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
4 jalapeño peppers, halved
1/4 c. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. cumin
1 lime, juiced
1 bunch cilantro
Salt and pepper, to taste

Spread the vegetables on a sheet pan. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano and cumin. Roast in a 375-degree oven for about 40 minutes or until the vegetables brown on the edges.
Remove from the oven and let cool. Once cooled, process with lime juice and cilantro until chunky. Taste and add salt or pepper if needed. The salsa keeps in the fridge for up to a week.