Spanish Grilled Vegetables (Escalivada)

The Catalonian dish known as escalivada gets its name from escalivar, meaning to char or roast in embers. For our version, we grilled an assortment of vegetables over high and low heat: the hot side added smoky char while the cooler side allowed the longer-cooking vegetables to become tender without scorching. Japanese or Chinese eggplants are slender and cook quickly; if you cannot find either variety, use small globe eggplant (sometimes called Italian eggplant), but cut them lengthwise into quarters rather than halves. We tossed the grilled and chopped vegetables with fresh tomatoes, garlic and sherry vinegar to add bright, pleasantly sharp notes. Serve as an appetizer along with crusty grilled bread or as a side to grilled meats or seafood.