It’s the final day of Farmers’ Market Week, and I still have these veggies left from my trip last weekend:

  • 1 head broccoli (1/2 of what I started with)
  • several carrots (again, 1/2 of what I started with)
  • parsnips
  • fingerling potatoes
  • beets
  • 2 squashes (acorn & buttercup)

$20 goes a long way, right? If you’ve never shopped this way, I hope you’re inspired to try it. If you live in a temperate climate you could do it year round! Of course, we’ve just had the first snow of the season here (snowstorm, actually) and the produce vendors at the market will be closing up shop soon.

The snow is scheduled to come down all weekend in large, wet flakes good for snowballs & snow-people. The neighbor kids have been playing outside all morning.  I’m definitely going to run out and enjoy it, too! Then I’ll come back inside & fire up the oven — roasted vegetables are on the menu today. Simple. Healthy. Yum!

First Snow Roasted Veggies

  • Fire up the oven! 400F is the ideal temp for roasting veggies.
  • Cut up your veggies into pieces of even shape & size. Don’t cut them too small or they will brown all the way through, sucking out all the tenderness.  Also avoid shapes with thin edges, which will burn quickly before everything else cooks through.
  • Put your veggies in a large bowl. Drizzle with just a little olive oil & salt. Mix it up with your hands!
  • Spread the mixture on a large baking sheet or dish. If you have fresh sprigs of herbs like rosemary or oregano, add them to the mix. Pop it in the oven!
  • While roasting, stir with a wooden spoon every now & then. Keep an eye on it, testing periodically with a fork for tenderness. Always taste before you decide they’re done.

Serve with a protein & a grain for a complete meal. I am making a pot of spicy red lentils and a side of rice pilaf.

Tips for various veggies:

Round varieties of squash (ex. acorn, buttercup, carnival): Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and place face DOWN on the baking sheet. This keeps the moisture inside & it cooks faster. Then you can serve the other veggies (&/or protein & grain) inside for an edible bowl!

Beets: Either peel them first before cutting & roasting, or roast them whole in just water, and then slip the skins off after they’ve cooled. Beets will color everything they touch, so roast them in a separate pan.

Potatoes: If they are small, roast them whole!

  1. loveoflobster posted this