Add some greenery to your grill

By Metro Creative

Backyard barbecues may be synonymous with burgers and hot dogs, but grillmasters needn’t feel beholden to such traditional fare when firing up their grills. While salad and grilling might seem like strange bedfellows to many grilling enthusiasts, the following recipe for “Grilled Radicchio and Brussels Spouts With Hot Bacon Dressing” from Karen Adler and Judith Fertig’s “The Gardener & The Grill” (Running Press) combines salad and grilling for a memorable, delicious and unique dish.

Grilled Radicchio and Brussels Sprouts With Hot Bacon Dressing

Serves 4

Hot Bacon Dressing

4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons water

1½ teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Radicchio and

Brussels Sprouts

1 pound (about 20 sprouts) Brussels sprouts, halved, rinsed and patted dry

Olive oil, for brushing

2 heads radicchio, halved, rinsed and patted dry

1 red onion, cut into 1/4-inch thick slivers

2 ounces crumbled cheese, such as feta, blue or goat cheese

Prepare a hot fire on one side of your grill for indirect cooking.

For the dressing, fry the chopped bacon in a medium skillet until crisp. Add the vinegars and water and heat until boiling. Lower the heat to medium and add the sugar, salt, white pepper, and celery seed, stirring well for about 2 or 3 minutes until the sugar dissolves. Set the pan aside and keep warm.

Place the Brussels sprouts in a large bowl and lightly drizzle with olive oil and toss. Place the Brussels sprouts in an oiled grill basket or grill wok. Set it on a baking tray.

Lightly brush the cut sides of the radicchio with olive oil and set on the baking tray, too, and take out to the grill.

Set the grill basket filled with Brussels sprouts directly over the fire. Toss the sprouts every few minutes and grill until they are tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 to 15 minutes, then move the basket of sprouts to the indirect side of the grill. Place the radicchio, cut-side down, over direct heat and grill until you have good grill marks, about 4 minutes.

To serve, arrange the radicchio and Brussels sprouts on a platter. Sprinkle with the onion and spoon the Hot Bacon Dressing over all. Serve at once.