Meat, seafood, veggies or fruit – grilling brings out the flavors of all your favorite foods. Whether you’re devoted to charcoal or love the consistency of cooking on a gas grill, there’s nothing quite like cooking over an open flame. It’s inherently informal, yet the dishes you can create on the grill are anything but ordinary. Explore the many ways to grill your favorites with the tips below, and let us know what’s on your grill!

Grilled Fruits

Keep the flames burning after the main course is cooked and serve up spectacular summer sweets with fresh fruit from the grill.

Stone Fruits

Peaches, Nectarines, Plums and Apricots all grill spectacularly. The sugars in these fruits intensify when grilled. Choose ripe fruit that’s still firm so it will hold up to the heat. Then slice the fruit in half, remove the pit and brush with either a honey glaze or the oil of your choice and grill about three minutes per side (plums only need to cook about two minutes per side).

Some of our favorite flavor pairings for fruit on the grill include ripe nectarines glazed with “O” Blood Orange Oil, apricots brushed with La Tourangelle Roasted Almond Oil and peaches brushed with a honey glaze before grilling. You can also use Canola Oil as a glaze for fresh fruit on the grill.

TIP: For a sweet twist on traditional bruschetta, use freshly grilled peaches as your main ingredient. Grill your peaches as you normally would, then remove the skin, dice the peaches and toss with a drizzle of warm honey and a dash of cinnamon, stirring until combined. Serve over rounds of shortbread with fresh cream on the side.

Tropical Fruits

Bring out the flavor of your favorite tropical fruits like pineapple, papaya and mango on the grill. For Papaya and mango, start by slicing the fruit lengthwise and removing the seeds. You can score the flesh or leave it uncut before brushing with oil or honey glaze and grilling. Try Macadamia Oil as a flavorful coating for Mango.

For pineapple, trim the ends, slice into quarters then core and peel (removing any remaining eyes with a small paring knife). Cut each quarter into wedges, then brush with a honey glaze before grilling.

Mango will cook in 2 to 3 minutes per side, Papaya halves in about 3 minutes per side, and pineapple slices in 3 to 4 minutes per side.

TIP: A honey glaze is easy to make – just combine 3 parts honey with 1 part orange or lemon juice and mix well. If you love a little extra kick, try blending honey with 1 part rum or your favorite liqueur.

Grilled Veggies

Nothing beats the freshly roasted flavor of savory veggies grilled over an open flame. The secret to perfectly grilled veggies is beginning with a clean, well-oiled grill that will add perfect grill marks to your food while allowing even cooking.

Most vegetables are best grilled ‘skin-on’ – you get the added nutrients from the skin while helping slices hold their shape. If you’re cooking a mixture of veggies, try to keep slices at a consistent thickness.

You can pre-season your vegetables by tossing with a mixture of olive oil and spices. We love mixing our Mediterranean Spice Rub with olive oil, or combining cracked sea salt and peppercorns with fresh rosemary and olive oil. For extra flavor, we suggest grilling "au natural" with our The Fresh Market Hardwood Charcoal, for true smoked hardwood flavor.

Asparagus

Soak in water for 30 minutes or place in the steamer to ensure a tender veggie. Pat dry, brush with olive oil or your favorite specialty oil and place on the grill. Remove when tips start to turn brown. Or, wrap in prosciutto and place on the grill.

Peppers

Slice bell peppers into quarters and remove seeds and stem. (For chile peppers, grill whole) Brush with oil and grill 2-3 minutes per side. Char or burn Poblano, New Mexican or Anaheim chiles until the skin blisters. Then, remove the skin and cut into slices.

Corn on the Cob

Pull back the husks (but don’t remove) and remove the silk. Soak in cold water for 30 minutes. Pat dry and brush with butter. Fold husks back over corn and grill for 5-7 minutes, turning often to avoid browning.

Eggplant

Eggplant can be cut lengthwise into ½” thickness and soaked in salted water for 30 minutes or place in the steamer until tender. Brush with olive oil and grill for 2-3 minutes. We also love to slice eggplant thinly, brush with olive oil and grill until the ends are charred, then drizzle with a mixture of balsamic vinegar and soy sauce to complement the rich, earth flavor of the eggplant.

Potatoes

Wash thoroughly, rub with oil and wrap in aluminum foil. Grill 35-40 minutes. For sliced potatoes on the grill, boil the potatoes first. Then remove the potatoes, slice evenly, brush with oil and grill until crisp. This helps the slices cook evenly without burning the outside.

Mushrooms

Rinse off dirt, pat dry and coat with oil. Grill for 4-5 minutes for smaller mushrooms or 6-8 minutes for larger selections. Use a grill basket or topper for smaller mushrooms.

Portabella Mushrooms

Serve portabella mushrooms as you would a burger for a lean, vegetarian alternative. For added flavor, fill the “gills” with soy sauce and garlic or your favorite red wine.

Zucchini or Small Squash

Slice lengthwise and brush with olive oil. Grill 2-3 minutes per side.

Grilled Seafood

Selection Choose firm fish (tuna, salmon, swordfish, halibut, mahi mahi), or consider using grill planks or foil to prevent fish fillets from falling through the grill grates. For shrimp and scallops, use bamboo skewers.

Temperature Sear over medium-high heat and avoid over-cooking. Grill 10 min per inch of thickness for seafood.

Technique Avoid marinating fish in citrus or vinegar as the acids will begin to cook the fish (think ceviche). Unlike meat and chicken, fish selections secrete moisture on the grill. To prevent drying out, brush with olive oil and sear both sides on high heat, then reduce to medium-high. Or grill over water-soaked cedar planks for a moist (and flavorful!) selection.

Grill-Ready Guest Favorites The Fresh Market offers a range of ready-to-cook seafood selections. We do the prep work in-store, so you can turn on the grill and start cooking! Our Bourbon Marinated Salmon is perfect on the grill, and we also offer pre-threaded seafood kabobs.