Three Vegetables That Are Better Grilled

Some people think vegetables and salads should be dainty and light, but most veggies have a deeper, darker side – especially if you char them. The process makes them sweet but just a little bitter, like they grew up hard and have some stories to tell. Mexican cooks burn the bejesus out of tomatoes to make smoky, black-flecked salsa. Roasted red peppers get their flavor from high heat that blisters their thin skins. And when the first leeks of spring show up, Spanish cooks make a bonfire out of them and pluck the sweet, soft white remains from inside for delectable finger food. Here are three of our favorite ways to make vegetables a little edgier.