GRILLED VEGETABLES WITH COLLARD GREEN PESTO

Grilled Vegetables with Collard Green Pesto image

Provided by Kardea Brown

Time 35m

Yield 6 to 8 servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for the cooking water
2 cups chopped collard greens
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons fresh basil
3 tablespoons pecans (about a handful)
1 teaspoon lemon zest plus 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 pound asparagus, trimmed
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow squash (8 ounces), cut into planks
1 large zucchini (12 ounces), cut into planks
Lemon zest, for garnish, optional

Steps:

For the collard green pesto: Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the collard greens and cook until the collards are bright green and tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the collards and plunge in an ice water bath to stop cooking. Drain.
With the motor running, drop the garlic through the chute of a food processor and process until minced. Remove the lid and add the collards, cheese, basil, pecans, lemon zest, crushed red pepper and salt. Pulse until finely chopped. Pour the oil through the chute and process until the desired consistency is reached. Add the lemon juice. Add 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to thin the pesto if necessary.
For the vegetables: Toss the asparagus, pepper, squash and zucchini with half of the pesto. Heat a grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Grill the vegetables until browned and tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with the remaining pesto. Garnish with the lemon zest, if desired.