1 can (14 oz) artichokes, drained and coarsely chopped.

1 medium Japanese eggplant (this more slender varietal is best for ribbon slicing).

Grilled Antipasto Ribbon Salad (recipe adapted from Go Gourmet)

The grilled vegetables are also a great antipasto snack when served cold. We enjoy eating these grilled vegetables warm on top of a bed of salad mixed with olives, artichokes, and bell peppers, but we also love eating them alone as a side dish to a Simple Roast Chicken. I don’t really add any dressing as I feel the grilled vegetables and the canned vegetables are bursting with their own marinated flavors, but you can drizzle some balsamic vinaigrette if you choose. Go Gourmet offers this grilled vegetable salad on their office express lunch menu and it is extremely delicious! I adapted the recipe for home as per below and it has quickly become a new favorite. It does require constant attention but each ribbon cooks so quickly, the overall process is not terribly time consuming. The vegetables are thinly sliced with a vegetable peeler into long, flat ribbons which allows for faster and even cooking. Luckily, I found the solution via ribbon slicing which I was introduced to by Lori Granito of Go Gourmet Catering during my recent foray into the Hong Kong catering world. I attempted to make my favorite Summer Squash Skewers on my grill pan but was unable to get them to cook evenly… mainly because I was too impatient to sit there and rotate the skewers. However, the grill pan does have its restrictions.

I love the smokey, charred flavor the grill imparts and since I acquired a grill pan, grilled vegetables were no longer restricted to only summer barbeques. I typically will roast them in the oven because it requires the least amount of attention (see my Roasted Vegetable Salad), but if I am feeling a bit more ambitious, grilling is really my favorite way to cook vegetables. When it comes to preparing vegetables to cook, my modius operandi is to toss them with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper.

Vegetable ribbon peeler