Add Photo to Journal

Photo Credit: Mary Moore

After peeling the vegetables, toss them in the vinegar and oil mix and spread them out in a casserole dish to roast.

You’ve harvested all these beautiful potatoes, onions, beets, carrots and other great root crops after months of growing, so now what do you do with them all? One delicious way to cope with the bounty is to roast those veggies! The preparation isn’t complicated, and roasting seals in the flavors while they cook until they’re sweet and tender.

You can adjust this first roaster recipe to include whatever root vegetables are available. For example, the ingredients show a choice of sweet potatoes or carrots. Pick whichever one you prefer, or mix and match according to your taste. You can also try using different types of vinegar when you make this dish. Balsamic vinegar will give your vegetables a heartier taste, while apple cider vinegar offers a sharper tang. Vinegars with herbs such as chives or thyme will infuse milder vegetables, while white wine vinegar adds a crisp taste that really enhances onions.

Basic Roasted Vegetables

Add Photo to Journal

Photo Credit: Mary Moore

These delicious vegetables are ready to complement your meal (or even be the main dish).

Ingredients:
4 small beets
8 small potatoes
6 small onions (adjust according to taste)
2 medium sweet potatoes or 4 medium carrots
¼ cup vinegar of your choice
¼ cup olive oil (or mild-tasting vegetable oil of your choice)
2 tablespoons fresh thyme or marjoram

Clean root vegetables thoroughly. Remove any greens and long tap roots. Potatoes and carrots can be cut into smaller pieces, but keep onions and beets whole. Remove the skins of sweet potatoes, but leave the skins on the beets.

After preparing your vegetables, preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of fresh thyme or marjoram from your garden into ¼ cup vinegar. Add ¼ cup of olive oil. Mix. Pour the oil-and-vinegar mixture over the vegetables, and toss until all veggies are coated. (This is easier if you put the vegetables in a bowl and pour the oil/vinegar mix over them.)

Place the vegetables in a baking dish, spreading them out into a single layer. Place in the oven on the highest rack to prevent the bottoms of the vegetables from burning. Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes, then take veggies out and stir well to keep them all coated with oil. Bake 20 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Allow them to cool slightly, then serve.