roasted winter and root vegetables

Christmas used to be my favorite holiday, hands down.  Along the way, though, Thanksgiving started to creep higher in my affections, and now it’s hard for me to say which one I prefer.  This is because everyone in my extended family is cuckoo for food prep, setting the table, dressing to the nines, and generally making a BIG DEAL out of it.  I love that.  I love making my two pies the day before and then putting an apron on over my sparkly dress and becoming a sous chef and dishwasher.  It’s amazing to see the passion for food, the love poured into a meal and a tradition so that we can all sit down to a dazzling spread on Thanksgiving. 

With that said, we’re not complete traditionalists.  Dishes come and go as guests rotate, and this year for the first time we did a roasted root vegetable side dish.  It was so delicious and beautiful that I had to document it for its own sake, and I’ll be replicating it for the Christmas dinner I plan yearly with my girlfriends.

Roasted Winter and Root Vegetables (inspired by this Ina Garten recipe)

INGREDIENTS

3 carrots, peeled

3 parsnips, peeled

3 golden beets
3 turnips

5 brussels sprouts

5 radishes

2-3 Tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

6 Tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped, stems removed

2 teaspoons dried oregano

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. 

Rub beets with olive oil and envelop in aluminum foil.  As soon as oven is hot, place inside to roast separately.  You’ll know they’re done with a fork slides into beet easily.

Cut the remaining vegetables into 1-inch cubes – don’t cut too small, as they’ll shrink while roasting.  Place all cut vegetables in a single layer on 2 baking sheets, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Toss well to coat.

Bake for 45 minutes, turning once midway through with a spatula.  Remove from oven, cut up beets and add to mixture, and sprinkle with dill and oregano.  Toss to mix in herbs, and serve hot.

One note: the radishes may bake faster than the rest of the vegetables – be sure to test their readiness at the halfway point.  If done early, pick them off the baking sheet and let the rest finish roasting.

Recommended for: a colorful and delicious accompaniment to any winter meal, a side of vegetables that you’ll want to eat for tomorrow’s lunch, and a dish that will tempt the veggie-averse.

Interested in other food-related posts?  Check out Beth Fish Reads' Weekend Cooking.