Now that fall’s here, many of our dinner vegetables get roasted in the oven. Roasting is easy, and allows you to work on the other parts of the menu without worry. The results are caramelized goodness.
This is how we do it. Preheat the oven to 400°. Peel as needed and cut up the vegetables into uniform pieces. Put the vegetables into a sheet pan and drizzle with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with kosher salt to taste. Other spices can be used. Our go-to seasoning is the salt-free Tuscan Sunset from Penzey’s. Roast the veggies in the oven for 20 or so minutes until browned and tender. Shake or stir the vegetables at least once to encourage even browning.
What do we roast? Asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts are often roasted. One of our favorite combinations is referred to as snips and rots, or parsnips and carrots. If you’ve never had parsnips, roasting is a perfect way to introduce them into your repertoire. If you roast more than one vegetable, make sure the combination has similar density. Last night I roasted leeks, celery, and a few of my padron peppers. After roasting, I tossed in some sliced kalamata olives. I served these alongside pasta with mushroom sauce.
When summer comes, we use the grill for roasting veggies when we’re grilling salmon or other protein. In this case, we use a perforated grill pan so the veggies don’t fall into the fire. It keeps the kitchen cool, and produces a similar effect as oven-roasting. Give it a try next time you grill burgers or brats.
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