Grilled Vegetables and Cheeses
Recipe from BICE Ristorante’s executive chef Mario Cassineri
BICE Ristorante
425 Island Ave., Gaslamp Quarter
619-239-2423
BICE offers San Diegans a skillful mix of traditional and contemporary trends in Italian cuisine featuring local and seasonal ingredients. Perfectly located in the historic San Diego Gaslamp Quarter, BICE combines the elegant and chic ambiance of modern Europe with affordable menu options.
Executive Chef Mario Cassineri’s September grilled vegetables and cheeses recipe celebrates the end of the summer with a feast of fresh bounty ripened to peak perfection. The colorful display combined with the richness of taste and texture make for a dish that tantalizes the senses. Simple by design, this recipe can be flawlessly executed by even the most novice cook.
Grilled Vegetables and Cheeses
Serves 4
1 medium fancy eggplant
2 medium green zucchini
1 red onion
2 heirloom tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
8 stalks green onion
Extra virgin olive oil, enough for marinating
Sea salt, to taste
½ pound Provolone cheese
1 pound Brie cheese
½ bunch of fresh Italian parsley
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Pre-heat the grill. Wash all the vegetables.
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Slice eggplant, zucchini, red onion and tomatoes into ½ inch-wide pieces. Quarter the bell peppers. Leave green onion stalks whole.
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Marinate all of the vegetables, except the eggplant, in extra virgin olive oil and sea salt. Dust the eggplant with sea salt.
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Place vegetables on the pre-heated grill, starting with the bell peppers, eggplant and red onion rings. Finish with the tomatoes, zucchini and green onion stalks. Allow the vegetables to sit on the grill for 2-3 minutes on each side.
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Once the vegetables are cooked and removed from the grill, add the cheeses and quickly turn them over to warm but not melt them. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil once plated and top all the items with chopped parsley.
