Grilled Veggie Wraps

Tommy's visit continued. Tuesday I took him to the food forest. He's been here twice before but he's six now and he sees more. He noticed things. The bird nests. The way the bees were on the persimmon flowers. The way the corn — the corn was just up — was tasseling at the top. He asked: what is this called. I said: tasseling. He said: tasseling. He said it twice, the way kids say words they want to keep. He stopped at the spot where he had planted the plum seed last summer. He said: it didn't grow. I said: not yet. He said: maybe next year. I said: maybe. He nodded. He said: I will check. I said: come check. He said: I will. He said it like a promise. He is six. He keeps promises.

Wednesday I taught Tommy to make a small box. The box was a four-piece pine box, glued and nailed, sized for him to put treasures in. He made it. The corners were uneven. The lid was crooked. The box was the most beautiful thing the workshop made that week. He carried it everywhere for two days. He said: I made my own box. He said it to Hannah. He said it to Danielle. He said it to Kai. He said it to the dogs. The dogs did not respond.

Sunday Kai and Danielle and Tommy left. Tommy hugged me. He said: come visit Albuquerque. I said: I will. He said: when. I said: in the fall. He said: with smoked venison. I said: with smoked venison. He said: in a cooler. I said: in a cooler. He said: because love is perishable. I said: yes. He had been listening when Kai said it. He had remembered. He said the line back to me. I cried after they drove out. I cried for a long time. Hannah held me. The grandfather grief of having to give a child back is a real thing.

The week Tommy was here, everything we did was made by hand — a pine box with crooked corners, a walk through rows of corn just tasseling, a plum seed checked on and not yet given up. When the family was still gathered and the days were still long, I wanted the food to match that feeling: something you assemble together, something that came partly from the garden, something you can hand to a six-year-old and say, you can help with this. These Grilled Veggie Wraps have been our go-to summer family meal for years, and that Sunday before the drive back to Albuquerque, they were the right thing — colorful, simple, and made with every set of hands that wanted in.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/4-inch planks
1 red bell pepper, quartered and seeded
1 yellow bell pepper, quartered and seeded
1 medium red onion, sliced into 1/2-inch rings
8 oz cremini mushrooms, stems removed
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large flour tortillas (10-inch)
1/2 cup hummus
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Instructions

Heat the grill. Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high heat. Lightly oil the grates.
Season the vegetables. In a large bowl, combine the zucchini, bell peppers, red onion, and mushrooms. Drizzle with olive oil, add the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and toss until everything is evenly coated.
Grill the vegetables. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on the grill. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, until tender and grill marks appear. Work in batches if needed so nothing steams.
Slice and rest. Transfer grilled vegetables to a cutting board and slice into strips roughly 1/2-inch wide. Let them rest for a few minutes so the steam settles.
Warm the tortillas. Place each tortilla on the grill for 20 to 30 seconds per side, just until warm and pliable. Keep covered with a clean towel.
Assemble the wraps. Spread 2 tablespoons of hummus across the center of each tortilla. Layer with a handful of baby spinach, a generous portion of the grilled vegetables, and a sprinkle of feta cheese.
Roll and serve. Fold in the sides, then roll the tortilla tightly from the bottom up. Slice on the diagonal and serve immediately, or wrap in foil to hold for up to an hour.

Nutrition (per serving)

Grilled Veggie Wraps — The Week We Made Things With Our Hands