Grilling is central to many basic Mediterranean Diet foods including kebabs, seafood, toasted breads and bruschetta, and even pizzas. And it's a great way to expand your vegetable repertoire. A grilled eggplant or a zucchini is amazingly tender, smoky, and succulent, and a grilled Portabella mushroom has enough taste to satisfy a confirmed carnivore.

• To boost flavor, brush the vegetables lightly with a good quality flavored olive oil. You can find varieties ranging from chipotle to garlic at your local supermarket. And sprinkle on a bit of fine, aged Balsamic vinegar, too. 
• Rub the grill grate lightly with a paper towel dipped in olive oil to keep food from sticking and get into the habit of scrubbing the grate after a meal, when it is cool enough to handle, so you'll always be ready to cook something.
• Allow enough time for the grill to reach the right temperature. A gas grill can take 15 minutes to preheat, and cooking over charcoal or wood can take 30 minutes for the coals to reach the perfect white-hot status. And if the weather makes grilling outdoors impossible, come inside and fire up your oven broiler. It will provide good results, too.

 Here's a selection of recipes to toss on the grill now.  Happy Labor Day!