After my recent column on a grilling disaster, many people were kind enough to send me tips on ways to grill more efficiently. Now I have every intention of going out and buying a chimney starter, which seems to be the key to success if you're grilling with charcoal.

As I've mentioned before, I used to look at those articles on ways to beat the summer heat in the kitchen without much interest. But in the past few years, as it's gotten hotter and hotter in Denver - or maybe I'm just less heat-tolerant - I've started to sit up and take notice.

Grilling is the obvious answer to beating the heat, but you still have to think ahead about the rest of the meal. I was reminded how hot the kitchen gets with the oven on when, in a moment of lunacy, I decided we needed biscuits for dinner. I turned on the oven for 15 minutes, and the house was hot for the next three days. Not the best plan.

I am, however, perfecting vegetables so that I can have a meal that's not just meat or poultry, although apparently a chimney starter is going to make that easier, too.

Here are some go-to ideas for rounding out your meal:

• A while back, I discovered that you can do a "vegetable medley" without much effort. Slice an onion into rings and cut thick strips of different- colored bell peppers. Brush with oil. Cook over direct heat at medium (or lower - it will just take longer). You want the vegetables to soften, not blacken. When cooked, place the onions and peppers in a bowl and coat with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and coarse salt.

You can also do this in a sauté pan on top of the stove. Combine whichever vegetables you like and mix with cooked brown rice.

• For a time, grilled artichokes were all the rage at restaurants. You can get the same effect at home:

Parboil artichokes on top of the stove for about 20 minutes. Cut them in half and remove the fuzzy choke. Lay the halves on the grill and let them cook at medium heat for 12 to 15 more minutes. You can also cook them almost all the way on top of the stove; if you cook them until they're too soft, they'll fall apart when you cut them in half. Then place them on the grill to get a little char.

• It's corn season, so take advantage. Apparently, there's a lot of discussion (hmmm, what food people talk about in their spare time?) about how to grill corn - with or without the husk. I've tried it both ways, but if you go to all the trouble of turning back the corn, pulling out the silk and then pulling the husk back over the kernels, you might as well serve something else. Take the easy way - remove the silk and husk, brush with butter and place it on the grate. You'll want it to brown all over, which can take 10 minutes. Of course, it's rare that I have the patience to leave it on for that long when everyone's waiting for it.

• Grilling lettuce for a grilled Caesar salad is a hot idea. You can grill a head of Romaine if it's not too thick. Or you can grill the leaves after brushing them with olive oil. Use direct high heat and cook 5 to 8 minutes.