Roasted Roots

It is winter time people, and that means lots of root vegetables are in season, many which are grown right here in our own back yard.  I have typically subscribed to a CSA program. If you aren’t familiar with the concept, CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture.  Being a CSA subscriber means you are supporting a small local organic farm that follows sustainable practices.  You pay a weekly fee and receive a weekly array of seasonal produce being grown on your farm.  Not only are you supporting something that is good for the environment, you are also getting produce that has much higher nutrient content and much better flavor (after all it is picked when ripe, rather than prematurely and shipped hundreds or thousands of miles).

In a CSA you get whatever is in season and whatever is in abundance on that particular week.  Sometimes you find items in your weekly box or basket that you’ve never seen before, and that you have no idea what to do with.  You must find creative ways to use these items, which is part of the fun.  Last winter I received lots of root vegetables – turnips, rutabagas, carrots and beets.  So, I began making a dish called roasted roots.  Roasted roots are easy to prepare (you can even peel and chop the vegetables the day before so that you just throw them in the oven when you come home). Winter squash also works great here, particularly butternut squash.

Enjoy!

Directions:

• Peel and chop approximately 4-5 cups of root vegetables or winter squash (Mixed variety preferred, try with at least one or two orange items like sweet potato, carrot, or butternut squash for color)
• Place vegetables in a large baking dish so that they spread out evenly over the bottom
• Toss vegetables with a drizzle of olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper
• Add herb of choice (I use a fresh sprig of rosemary, dried oregano works well)
• Bake in preheated 400 degree oven until vegetables are soft and browned (20-30 minutes, but really depends on size of your cuts so keep an eye on them)
• You can also toss if a few cloves of garlic before baking (with skin on) if you like.