Grilled Veggies with Mustard Vinaigrette

Week 525. Spring 2026. I am 43 years old and standing in my kitchen — the Bench house kitchen, the one that held cancer and divorce and cinnamon rolls — and the stove is on and something is cooking and the house smells like fresh herbs and possibility and this is my life. This is the life I built.

Tom made his trout on Friday, the way he does every Friday, and the fish was perfect, and the kitchen smelled like lemon and capers, and I sat at the table and ate fish that my partner caught and cooked and served, and the being-served is still a wonder after all these years.

Mason is 15 and navigating high school with the quiet competence that has always been his way — focused, kind, certain of who he is in a way that took me thirty years to achieve.

Lily is 13 and competing in equestrian events and winning with the Dawson stubbornness that I recognize because it's mine.

I made roast chicken with herbs this week. The food continues. The food always continues. It is the thread that connects every week to every other week, every year to every other year, every version of me to every other version — the woman on the kitchen floor, the woman at the chemo recliner, the woman at the grill, the woman at the outdoor table under the string lights. All of them, connected by the food they made with their hands. All of them, me.

The roast chicken was the heart of this week’s meal, but the vegetables alongside it were what I actually lingered over — bright, charred at the edges, dressed in something sharp and a little tangy that cut right through the richness of everything else on the plate. I’ve made some version of these grilled veggies more times than I can count, in this kitchen and every kitchen before it, and they always feel like the right thing: steady, ordinary, grateful — exactly how I feel at 43, standing at a hot stove with something good on the way.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 35 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
1 medium yellow squash, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into wide strips
1 cup cremini mushrooms, halved
1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil (for vinaigrette)
1 teaspoon honey
1 small clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

Preheat the grill. Heat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. If using an outdoor grill, lightly oil the grates.
Prep the vegetables. Toss the zucchini, yellow squash, bell pepper, mushrooms, and red onion with 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
Grill the veggies. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on the grill. Cook for 4—5 minutes per side, turning once, until grill marks form and vegetables are tender but still hold their shape. Work in batches if needed.
Make the vinaigrette. While the vegetables grill, whisk together the Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, red wine vinegar, honey, and garlic in a small bowl. Slowly drizzle in the 3 tablespoons of olive oil, whisking constantly, until the dressing is emulsified. Stir in the fresh parsley.
Dress and serve. Transfer the grilled vegetables to a serving platter and drizzle the mustard vinaigrette over the top while still warm. Toss gently to coat. Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Grilled Veggies with Mustard Vinaigrette — The Food That Connects Every Version of Me