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You don’t need a Big Green Egg to smoke up perfectly pink cuts of meat or flaky fresh fish—all you need is a green thumb. Grilling is fast, but you sacrifice the complex BBQ flavor you get from a low-and-slow turn in the smoker. This trick preserves the speed and ease of grilling but injects some smoky goodness into your food using stuff you’re sure to have lying around—veggie scraps, garden clippings, and a metal bowl. Start by tucking a wad of onion skins and other veggie scraps in next to the coals. Then gather cuttings from your garden—lavender sprigs, overgrown chives, even dandelions—and toss ’em all on the fire. Safety note: Stick to plants you’re sure are nontoxic. Herb stems? Great. <a href="http://homeguides.sfgate.com/burning-oleander-produce-poisonous-smoke-75289.html">Oleander clippings</a>? Not so much.Once your garden-infused smoke starts to billow, add your food of choice to the grill and cover the whole shebang with an overturned metal bowl or pot. In just minutes, the fragrant smoke will give the food inside a light and lovely flavor. Try it with everything from burgers to fish to hearts of romaine. (And if you need a way to use up those romaine scraps afterward, well, just scroll up!)WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
Your trusty grill
Burning coals
Veggie scraps &amp; garden clippings
A big metal bowl or pot