“There is no better way to cook most vegetables than by grilling – the high, dry heat of the fire caramelizes the natural plant sugars, adding a haunting, inimitable smoke flavor you simply can’t achieve indoors.” That’s grilling guru Steven Raichlen talking to Cathy Walthers in the latest edition of Martha’s Vineyard magazine about the topic of his thirty-second book, How to Grill Vegetables: The New Bible for Barbecuing Vegetables over Live Fire. (Read the whole interview.)

Honestly, I would have to agree with him about the flavor of grilled vegetables – there’s nothing like it. Have a go at Steven’s Cedar-Planked Eggplant Parmigiano (I’m sure planning to) or his Emilia-Romagna “Elote” – an Italian spin on the famous Mexican street corn — and then decide for yourself. Or start from square one by picking up the book and reading the first chapter, which Raichlen describes as “a crash course on vegetable grilling.”

After that, we’ve got more grilled veggie recipes for you on Cook the Vineyard, some all the way back from my second cookbook! My favorite is probably Grilled Zucchini, Bell Pepper, and Bread Salad with Double Tomato Dressing, but since I love grilling potatoes, I’d make this Grilled Potato, Shrimp, Green Bean, and Tomato Salad even without the shrimp.

And one of my all-time favorite (simple) grilled veggies are these Grilled Maple-Tamari Shiitakes.

Right now my mind is on two things: ripe beefsteak tomatoes and the fabulous panel discussion we’re hosting today at the Martha’s Vineyard Museum. I'm looking forward to seeing some of you in only a couple hours as we talk with Sam Sifton, Dawn Davis, and Dr. Jessica B. Harris about The Changing Story of American Home Cooking. In preparing for today’s talk, I’ve been watching High on the Hog (riveting) and poking around the books and magazines and other media that these talented folks produce. That’s how I wound up grabbing a little inspiration from them for my barrage of garden tomatoes, which I’m bringing inside fast ahead of the critters and crows.

I always want to eat the first ripe beefsteaks very simply – sliced with maybe a drizzle of olive oil, a ruffle of basil and a smattering of sea salt (of course). But when I saw Sam Sifton’s idea for drizzling brown butter on sliced tomatoes (in his book, The New York Times Cooking No-Recipe Recipes), I had to give that treatment a try. Oh my, so so good. (This recipe for Miso-Glazed Scallops came from that terrific book, too.)

And then in perusing Bon Appetit (both the magazine and the website, the purview of Dawn Davis), I came across a beautiful Vietnamese Tomato Salad recipe. I didn’t have all the ingredients, but I did a version (with the very essential caramelized shallots, the peanuts, the herbs, and the fish sauce-lime-sugar dressing), and we gobbled up the entire plate. Now it’s in our repertoire to stay.

Other ideas for topping sliced tomatoes?

• Warm black olive and garlic vinaigrette with a dab of warm goat cheese.
• Crumbled feta, capers, thinly sliced red onions, lemon-herb olive oil.
• Cotija, cilantro, toasted pumpkin seeds, pickled peppers
• A drizzle of balsamic glaze or pomegranate molasses or fig molasses.
• A spoonful of raw or barely cooked corn (maybe in brown butter!) with chives and lemon zest.
• Top with buttery, garlicky toasted breadcrumbs
• Double the tomato flavor by topping with roasted cherry tomatoes

I’m sure you have your own favorite approach.

Once you’re ready to move from sliced to chopped, it’s time for toast: Island Tomato, Basil, and Grilled Bread Panzanella and Beefsteak Tomato Bruschetta.

Happy summer cooking (or almost no-cooking). And we’ll see you later today or on Instagram @cookthevineyard.