roasted

I don't know if it is the cooler weather or what but in the fall and winter we seem to be roasting vegetables all the time.  It is a technique that is not new or terribly exciting but it results in the most delicious vegetables that I always devour and that my kids have even accidentally eaten and liked.

I have been roasting  root vegetables (potatoes, parsnips, carrots) and winter squash for a few years now.  They are so delicious, so easy and pretty idiot proof.  Lately though, I have been expanding my reportoire to include other veg ( I like to say 'veg' because it sounds cool and British like Jamie Oliver and...Gwyneth).  So far, everything has been a success, even veg that I have never liked (cauliflower, broccoli, brussel sprouts).  Seriously, the cauliflower was like eating potato chips.

Roasting vegetables is genius for mature, store bought veggies that may not be in season.  I found some green beans the other night in our fridge that were looking sad, sad, sad.  They were stringy, limp, and probably should've been tossed but roasting brought them back to life.  In fact, I was forced to stand at the counter  once they came out of the oven and pop them in my mouth one after the other like french fries not caring that they were scorchingly hot and burning my fingers and mouth.  Why does this miracle happen in the oven?  It has something to do with a chemical reaction caused by the dry heat of the roasting and the conversions and the sugars and the starches and the browning and I am obviously not a chemist.

All you need is salt, pepper, olive oil, a 450 degree oven, and some pretty gnarly roasting pans that are coated with years of "seasoning" as my mom would say.  I spread  the vegetables out on the pan, drizzle some olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and put them in the oven for about 20-40 minutes depending on what you are cooking.  Toss them half way though and eat.

One of our favorite meals and a weekly regular in the fall and winter is roasted vegetables (shallot, butternut squash, carrot, sweet potato) over salad greens and roasted chicken.We top it with Annie's Goddess dressing.  So delicious.

We've also enjoyed roasted tomatoes tossed in pasta, or spread on bread with cheese.  Talk about reviving out of season or shriveled vegetables.  Roasting is perfect for these kinds of sad tomatoes that you find in January.  You don't have to peel them just pop on the pan and let them soften and sweeten up.  Dare I say, they taste almost homegrown.

This is a great article on roasting vegetables to get you started or to give you some new ideas.  I remember reading this article when it came out in 2006 and it is still one of my most used issues of EFD.  Enjoy!

***roasted vegetables, although delicious, do not make the prettiest or most interesting pictures.

cauliflower

root veg

green beans