Side Dishes for Spring & Summer BBQs

A fresh spin on grilled artichokes, an authentic romesco sauce, and a simple nectarine salad.

Grilled Artichokes with Citrus Shallot Vinaigrette

When spring and summer roll around, artichokes are always one of my favorite vegetables to make. I can never get enough! My typical artichoke prep involves steaming the artichokes with lemon, garlic, and herbs, then serving them with a citrusy, spicy mayo for dipping. Steaming the artichokes with aromatics really enhances the flavor of the artichoke “meat” and, who are we kidding, spicy mayo can really make anything delicious. My mom especially loves this artichoke preparation and insists I make these for her whenever we’re eating together and there are good looking artichokes at the store. Though I’ve shown her how to make them many times, she says they come out best when I make them. I guess it’s just nice to have someone cook for you sometimes, ya know?

Once the sun starts shining and it’s time to dust off the grill, I like to switch up my artichoke prep to suit our seasonal grilling lifestyle. These grilled artichokes with a citrus shallot vinaigrette came are SO tasty and simple to prepare. They’ve quickly become a new favorite way to savor artichokes. Packing flavor, first from the char obtained on the grill and then from the shallot infused vinaigrette, these are perfect as a side dish with grilled steaks, or any grilled protein really. You could also serve the grilled artichokes with a bountiful salad for a vegetarian lunch or dinner.

Feel free to change up the aromatics in the vinaigrette to suit whatever you are serving alongside your grilled artichokes. For example, substituting orange juice for lemon juice and adding some chopped, fresh rosemary could be a lovely complement to a whole chicken roasted over charcoal. If serving the grilled artichokes alongside grilled fish, a vinaigrette with champagne vinegar rather than red wine vinegar and fresh tarragon would be delicious.

The Wine Pairing

If I were choosing a wine to pair solely with the grilled artichokes with citrus shallot vinaigrette, I would probably grab a bottle of rosé. First, because rosé says summer time and there’s nothing quite like sipping on a crisp glass of rosé while grilling in the backyard with friends. More specifically, I’m thinking a Grenache rosé  would work well with the grilled artichokes. Grenache rosés tend to be zesty and lean toward the fruity side of things with notes of strawberry and orange. This would complement the green, vegetal flavor of the artichokes and the moderate-to-high acidity of a Grenache rosé makes a good match for the acidity in the citrus shallot vinaigrette.

For a white wine, a Pinot Gris is a good wine pairing with its moderate acidity and notes of citrus and salinity. For a red wine, a bottle of Gamay is a nice selection as Gamay’s moderate-to-high acidity would match the acids in the vinaigrette and the fruit forward notes of raspberry and boysenberry would complement the green flavors of the artichokes along with the char from the grill. If you are serving the grilled artichokes as a side, then look to your main dish to lead the way when choosing a wine for the meal.

Grilled Artichokes with Citrus Vinaigrette Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 fresh artichokes

• 3 lemons

• 1 shallot, diced

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar

• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

2. Place the diced shallot into a small bowl with the red wine vinegar. You could alternatively use white balsamic vinegar or a combination of the two. Allow the shallot to soak in the vinegar while you prepare the artichokes. This softens the bite of the shallot and will infuse the vinaigrette with more flavor.

3. Trim the stem of each artichoke to 1-inch long, then pull off dark outer leaves. Cut off the top inch of each artichoke with a serrated knife. Using a vegetable peeler, peel dark green areas from the stem and base of the artichoke. Quarter each artichoke. Cut out the fuzzy choke from the center of each quarter with a paring knife.

4. Squeeze 2 lemons into a large bowl of cold water. As you work, place cleaned artichoke quarters into the lemon water bowl to preserve color. 

5. Once finished, drain the artichokes and place into boiling water and cook until tender yet still crisp, about 12 minutes.

6. Drain the artichokes from the pot of water and place onto the pre-heated grill. Turn occasionally. Cook until tender with some char marks from the grill. About 10 minutes.

7. While the artichokes are on the grill, prepare your vinaigrette. Whisk the shallot and vinegar mixture with the olive oil, the juice of 1 lemon, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper. You may also add any fresh chopped herbs like parsley or basil to the vinaigrette. 

8. Toss the grilled artichokes with the vinaigrette and serve.

Romesco Sauce for a Taste of Catalonia

When I was in Barcelona, I had a spicy romesco sauce on fish that was to die for. I still dream about it today if you can believe it. Although I have found romesco goes well on just about anything – bread, vegetables, chicken, you name it. Romesco originated in Tarragona where the fishermen created the sauce to serve with the catch of the day. I recently came across an intriguing recipe for yogurt-based flatbreads that I’ve been curious to try. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to recreate my own Romesco to pair with these flatbreads!  

Romesco is traditionally made with red peppers, garlic, almonds (or another type of nut), tomatoes, some type of pepper, sherry vinegar, olive oil, and sometimes a fresh herb of your choosing. For whatever reason, I don’t tend to have sherry vinegar in my pantry regularly so I tweaked the original recipe a bit using apple cider vinegar and white wine vinegar. You could boil the red peppers to cook them, but I prefer to roast them in the oven as oven-roasting, or even grilling, gives the peppers a richer flavor.

The Wine Pairing

What wine you choose to pair the romesco sauce with should wholly depend upon what you are serving with the romesco sauce. If you are serving the sauce as an appetizer with flatbreads, crostini, or on grilled vegetables, I would recommend a Brut Cava or an Albariño. An Albariño from Rias Baixas would be ideal.

The high acidity of a Brut Cava which helps to create that crispness on the palate will complement the heat and bold flavors of the romesco sauce. Plus, Cava has a palate-cleansing effect that’s perfect for the spices of the sauce. Albariño is a white wine that also tends towards higher acidity and fruit forward notes. Think lemon, grapefruit, and melon characteristics that balance the sweetness from the red peppers and the heat from spices in the sauce.

If you are serving the romesco sauce with fish or chicken, I’d opt for a lighter bodied red wine like a Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, or Spanish Garnacha. If serving the sauce with grilled steaks, try a full-bodied red like a Priorat. The mineral qualities of a Priorat would help to enhance the nuttiness of the romesco sauce.

Romesco Sauce Recipe

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 red bell peppers

• 3/4 cup slivered almonds, toasted

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1/4 cup tomato puree

• 2 tbsp parsley

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

• 1 tsp smoke paprika

• 1 tsp cayenne pepper

• 1 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1/2-3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash red bell peppers. Remove the stem, seeds, and veins. Drizzle with olive oil and roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until the skins start to blacken. You could also broil or grill the peppers instead. 

2. While the bell peppers are roasting, mince the parsley and garlic clove. Toast the almond slivers in a pan over low heat or in a toaster oven.

3. Place the roasted peppers in a brown paper bag once removed from the oven for 5 minutes. Then peel off the skins of the peppers.

4. Rough chop the peppers, then place all of the ingredients except for the extra-virgin olive oil into a food processor. Pulse until all of the ingredients are finely chopped. 

5. With the food processor still running, slowly add the olive oil and process until smooth.

A Simple Nectarine Salad 

While summer fruits are all delicious on their own, I love finding ways to work fruits into salads and different appetizers or soups, i.e. on crostini and in gazpacho. One summer, I was obsessed with making this simple nectarine salad and now whenever summer rolls around I look forward to snacking on this delicious dish. It’s so easy to prepare and the beauty is in the simplicity – something I learned while eating my way through Italy. Some of the best dishes are the simplest ones that allow the natural flavors of the ingredients to shine.

I love to use white nectarines for this dish. They have a bit more of an elegant, delicate flavor and tend to be a bit sweeter to my palate. Here’s how easy this is:

• Grab yourself a couple of ripe, juicy white nectarines.

• Slice them lengthwise.

• Chiffonade as much fresh basil as you like.

• Toss the nectarines and basil together.

• Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt.

Ta-da! You’ll be so happy with how well these flavors work together. The sweetness of the nectarines with the sea salt, rich olive oil, and the aromatics of the basil is SO GOOD. This simple nectarine salad would also work really well over crostini spread with a tangy goat cheese. Pour yourself a glass of Prosecco and kick back under the summer sun!