Roasted Root Vegetables: Treasure for the Busy Cook

It's the start of root vegetable season and I roasted an oven full of them this week. For me, roasted root vegetables are an ingredient as well as a delicious end in themselves. This is also an easy-to-make, ready-to-eat item to have in your refrigerator when you have a houseful of holiday guests.

What do you make with roasted root vegetables? Add your ideas in the comments section.

This batch had winter squash, yams, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, potatoes, and carrots. They were tossed in olive oil, salt, pepper, and some Herbes de Provence before I spread them on half-sheet pans and put them in a 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes.

I line up my storage dishes on the counter next to the stove and pull out whatever is cooked, as soon each item is golden and prefect.

Leftovers Make New Meals

For the first meal, we had them as a side dish with some sautéed cod. The next day, I chopped a mixture of the potatoes, yams, onion, and garlic, sautéed them in olive oil and a bit of butter, and served it as a hash. Today, I microwaved a selection from the leftovers, mashed it, and had it with lunch.

Another favorite dish from this type of ingredient is roasted potato salad. While the vegetables are still hot, I cut the roasted potatoes, a few pieces of carrot, and the roasted onions into bite-sized pieces and mix with celery, parsley, and a simple vinaigrette. If I have leftover ham, bacon, pork, or hard-boiled eggs in the refrigerator, I might add those to make it a full meal rather than a side dish.

Farm Fresh is Moist

The squash from the farmers' market was so fresh that it was giving off a lot of steam in the oven. Keep an eye on this and consider the freshness when you set your cooking time. I pulled it out early to keep the rest of the vegetables from steaming and returned it to the oven by itself, at the end, to caramelize. 

Ready to cook for the holidays? Order now, if you need anything from half-sheet Pan to glass storage containers. And, thank you to everyone who starts their Amazon shopping from a link on BostonZest. That helps to pay the bills to keep BostonZest coming your way. 

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Words: Penny Cherubino
Photos: © 2011 Penny Cherubino

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