About the most ‘seasonal’ foods right now are root vegetables and squashes. I finished up the last of our homegrown potatoes and carrots in Saturday’s roasted veggie medley. We have a variation of this dish probably once a week all through the winter season (read: having the oven on is welcome!)
When you estimate the roast to be about 90 minutes from ready, begin prepping the veggies (sooner if you’re slow!) I’m not going to give you amounts. You know the size of your family and how much everyone eats. Just make a little extra because the veggies shrink some and are so delicious they might go a little faster than expected. Here’s what I put in a mixing bowl, depending on what I’ve got in the house:
potatoes, in chunks
yam, peeled and in chunks
onion, peeled and quartered
1 or more cloves of garlic, sliced
carrots, peeled and chunked
parsnips, peeled and chunked
salt & pepper
You may want to cut the parsnips and carrots smaller than the potato variants, as they take longer to cook.
If there’s lots of grease from the roast, you won’t need to add oil. However, if you’re doing this as a side dish or with a lean roast, drizzle some olive oil over the veggies, and toss them.
Pull the roast out of the pan, put the veggies in, and stir in the melted fat, then plop the roast back on top. Every 20 minutes or so, give them a stir so they’ll all have a chance to carmelize on the pan’s bottom.
If you’re not doing a roast, you’ll still want to turn the veggies over a few times as above. Feel free to turn the oven up to 400, though.
If the roast is done before the veggies, pull it out, cover it in foil, and let it rest. Turn the oven hotter (400) and get those veggies cooked!
I hope you love this winter standby as much as we do!
