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18
Aug
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Grilled Sausage with Olives, Capers, and Summer Vegetables |
I’m going to tell you something, and please don’t shoot the messenger. Summer is more than halfway over. I know that none of us want to face that, but sadly, it’s true.
I have my own personal “bucket list” of food-related reasons why I’m not ready for summer to come to a close. I haven’t had a single s’more, or a lobster. I haven’t grilled nearly enough, especially fresh fish like swordfish or tuna. And I haven’t been taking enough advantage of summer’s fresh bounty of vegetables.
The good news is, I’ll probably get a case of WSS (Wrong Season Syndrome) and want to make grilled corn and have a campfire in February. The bad news is, fresh sweet summer corn will be nothing but a dream, and I’ll have to curl up on the hardwood floor in the living room.
I’m trying to do a little less meal planning and a little more loading up of fresh summer produce as I see it. Then, I’m forced to seek out new ways to use it, and hopefully get to enjoy every bit this beautiful season has to offer.
I found this interesting recipe over at Kalyn’s Kitchen. Tender-crisp vegetables tossed together with sliced sausage is reminiscent of a stir-fry, but the fact that everything is grilled makes this a summer specialty. Tangy lemon and briney olives and capers made this a must-try for me. I had randomly picked up some romano beans at a farmers’ market, and initially thought I’d prepare them as a side dish. But then I figured, why bother? I decided to toss them in and enhance what was already a simple, one-dish meal prepared quickly on the grill. It also meant that we could eat the whole meal out of a bowl, and what could be easier and more relaxing than that? The flavors blended together brightly and beautifully, and I got to enjoy revel in the season just a little bit more.
Grilled Sausage with Olives, Capers, and Summer Vegetables
Slightly adapted from Kalyn’s Kitchen
Printable Recipe
1 lb summer squash, halved lengthwise and sliced
3/4 lb fresh romano beans or green beans, cut into 1 – 1 1/2″ pieces
1 lb (4 links) turkey sausage (I used Shadybrook Farms Mild Italian Turkey Sausage)
about 1/3 cup chopped fresh herbs (I used a combination of basil and parsley)
4oz pitted Kalamata olives, cut in half
2 tablespoons capers
juice of 1 lemon
Preheat grill to medium-high heat.
Combine the sliced squash and beans on a baking sheet. Spray with olive oil cooking spray and season with salt and pepper. Also spray the sausages with cooking spray.
Place the vegetables in a grill basket and the sausages right on the grill. If you are using pre-cooked sausages, you won’t need to leave them on their very long. Just grill until they are hot throughout and have some nice grill marks. For uncooked sausages, cook for about 20 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked through and browned. Stir the vegetables every so often, until crisp-tender and lightly charred and beginning to caramelize in spots.
Meanwhile, chop the herbs and slice the olives and add both to a large bowl. When the sausage is done, let it rest for a few minutes and then slice into 1″ chunks. Add the sausage pieces and vegetables to the bowl with the herbs and capers. Squeeze the lemon juice over everything, toss, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm.
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 3
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 308.8
Total Fat: 14.9 g
Cholesterol: 73.3 mg
Sodium: 1,349.6 mg
Total Carbs: 20.5 g
Dietary Fiber: 7.2 g
Protein: 24.9 g
I'm Cara, lover of creative, clean food and healthy living. Pumpkin, goat cheese, and eggplant make me swoon. I have an insatiable sweet tooth and desire to lift heavy things. 
Melissa — August 18, 2010 @ 2:37 pm
this sounds really good! I wish I had the energy to cook like this 🙂
Lisa — August 18, 2010 @ 2:59 pm
Looks delicious! I also have wrong Season Syndrome and always realize I missed out right after it's too late. It happens with corn every year! This summer I really tried to get as many of the fruits as I could and now I just have to remember to start buying corn!
TJ — August 18, 2010 @ 3:12 pm
That looks Yummy! 🙂
Dawn — August 18, 2010 @ 5:35 pm
I get the wrong season syndrome all the time (in fact I keep making hot soups…I know, weird). What a great dish this is. If you were here I'd be sharing my corn with ya. I have made so much of it this season that I think I'm turning yellow. This post does make me think though…what do I want to cook before the end of summer?
Joanne — August 18, 2010 @ 6:28 pm
No matter what season it is, I never quite feel like I've taken advantage of the fruits and veggies or cooked everything I wanted to cook. Ah well. I guess maybe that's why it's a good thing that time flies? There's always another chance to try again.This looks fantastic and is a great way to use up some of summer's produce!
Shannon — August 18, 2010 @ 7:43 pm
i really don't want to hear it. 😉 i can't believe how far into august we are… this looks amazing, though!!
Kalyn — August 18, 2010 @ 8:51 pm
Even though lately I'm hating the heat, I'm always sad when summer is over. I love your version of this with the beans, great idea!
Jen — August 18, 2010 @ 9:19 pm
I am starting to get sad that summer is ending, but can't wait for all the fall foods. This dish looks great!Oh and I wanted to tell you I had some smores this weekend. Cooked over a campfire, the way they should be!
dinnersanddreams.net — August 19, 2010 @ 1:32 am
It looks delicious and pretty on the plate. Wonderful recipe!
grace — August 19, 2010 @ 8:49 am
what a delightful and different way to prepare summer squash! sadly, ours are almost gone. and of course, i didn't realize how much i was enjoying them until now.
newlywed — August 19, 2010 @ 12:29 pm
That looks delicious, and so healthy! Thanks for sharing.
Elina — August 19, 2010 @ 7:02 pm
Ooh, this sounds delicious. I saw some gorgeous beans at the farmers market the other day and made a mental note to plan something with them for next week. This could just be it for me. I'm so sad that summer is coming to an end.PS – have you entered by couscous giveaway yet? Just want to make sure you don't miss it 🙂
grace — April 5, 2011 @ 1:18 am
what a delightful and different way to prepare summer squash! sadly, ours are almost gone. and of course, i didn't realize how much i was enjoying them until now.