***Looking for the Fresh Memorial Day Menu recipes you saw on KCCI this morning?
Click here for the recipes!***

It appears I have a wee problem on my hands.

No, wait, that didn’t come out right. Er, I mean…

How about this – I can’t stop making sandwich-ish type dishes for dinner! First, Open-Face Caprese Sandwiches, then Ham & Cheese Pretzel Sandwiches, and now this – a Grilled Garden Wrap. That’s kind of sandwich-ish, don’t ya’ think?!

Well, I promise you’ll forgive me after one tiny bite of this wrap, which is bursting with the fresh, smoky, and sweet flavors of grilled eggplant, zucchini, and sweet corn, and raw cucumber and tomato.

Not only are Grilled Garden Wraps mouthwatering, but they’re also the next recipe in my Farmers‘ Market Recipe Collection! You remember, the collection of recipes I started to make sure I always had a way to use Farmers’ Market produce, so I wouldn’t have to shamefully pick it up elsewhere? Right.

Anyways! Start the Grilled Garden Wrap by drawing out the excess moisture from 1 small eggplant, so it doesn’t turn to mush on the grill.

Slice the eggplant into 1/2″ slices, then lay the slices on a cooling rack, and generously salt both sides.

In 10 minutes, the salt will have drawn out the excess moisture, causing it to bead up on top. Simply blot the moisture and salt away, and that’s that!

While the eggplant’s being leached, slice a small yellow squash into diagonal slices, about 1/2″ thick.

Next, brush both sides of the eggplant and squash slices with olive oil, and season both sides with grill seasoning. You could totally add whatever you’ve got in your spice cupboard, but I really like this Weber Veggie Grill Seasoning. It’s got all the right flavahs, if you ask me. If you’re not, well, I still recommend it.

To the grill!

 

Heat the grill to high, then add the squash and eggplant slices, as well as 2 ears sweet corn. The corn DOES NOT need any oil or butter to grill, btw. It is perfection all on its own. (Chicken in the back is for Ben’s wrap, and the 2 extra ears of corn are for something else. Dunh-dunh-dunhhhh!)

Grill the eggplant and squash for 2-3 minutes a side, or until the slices are just barely tender. If you over-grill them they’ll turn to mush, and Mushy Grilled Garden Wrap just doesn’t quite have the same ring to it. Grill the corn for 5-6 minutes, rotating the ears every 2 minutes, or so, to evenly char on all sides.

 

Remove everything to your platter, and head back in!

While the grilled veggies are cooling, slice up 2 Roma tomatoes and 1 cucumber. Then, when they’re cool enough to handle, slice the eggplant slices in half, and cut the corn kernels off the cobs.

 

K, assembly time! Layout a flour tortilla then spread 2 Tablespoons 1/3 less fat Garden Vegetable cream cheese over the whole thing.

This cream cheese is AWESOME! Not only is the flavor great, but it holds the whole wrap together, AND melts slightly from the heat of the grilled veggies, getting even more smooth and creamy. So yum.

Now, layer on the grilled eggplant and squash slices.

 

Followed by the grilled corn. I HEART GRILLED CORN. Just needed to get that out there.

Finish with cucumber and tomato slices.

 

That’s it!

Grilled Garden Wrap

Print this recipe!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 flour tortillas (whatever size you want)

4oz 1/3 less fat Garden Vegetable cream cheese, softened

1 small eggplant, cut into 1/2″ slices

1 yellow squash, cut into 1/2″ strips on the diagonal

2 ears sweet corn

olive oil

grill seasoning

2 Roma tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 small cucumber, thinly sliced

Directions:

1. Place eggplant slices on a cooling rack, then generously salt both sides and let sit for 10 minutes. Blot away salt and moisture that rises to the top of the slices with a paper towel. Brush eggplant and zucchini slices with olive oil, then season both sides with grill seasoning.

2. Preheat grill to high. Grill seasoned eggplant and zucchini slices for 2-3 minutes a side, or until just barely tender. Add corn to the grill and cook for 5-6 minutes, rotating every couple of minutes to char evenly on all sides. Remove vegetables to a platter to cool slightly, then cut the eggplant slices in half, and cut the kernels off the corn cobs.

3. Spread 2 Tablespoons cream cheese on each flour tortilla. Layer on grilled eggplant, zucchini, and corn, then cucumber and tomato slices. Wrap sides up and overlap at the top, securing with a toothpick.

I am so tickled with how this humble wrap turned out! Between the warm and cold veggies, and charred and fresh flavors, I could not devour this fast enough. Plus that corn! Mmm!

If you’re a cream cheese hater, try using softened chevre, or a Laughing Cow wedge instead. Just use something, as it really does secure all the fillings inside the tortilla. Plus it tastes great! Make this, mmkay?

In other news, I will be popping up on KCCI throughout the morning news tomorrow, showing four fresh recipes for Memorial Day!

Locals, tune in to Channel 8 at 5:10 (cough, A.M. – that’s the booze segment!) 5:40, 6:10, and 6:40 to watch. If you see a random man sprinting out of the shot, that’s just Ben, who is coming with me to help get everything quickly switched out between segments. BLESS HIS HEART!

Anyways, early to bed, and early to rise, and all that jazz… ’til tomorrow!