Roasted Root Vegetables

The smell of rosemary and garlic is something that never gets old. Hand me a recipe that has these two ingredients and it is bound to be delicious.

Now, let's say that you are frantically searching for that perfect side dish and every recipe you come upon seems to have an exotic ingredient not normally found in your pantry.

Black volcanic sea salt? NO
Squash blossoms? NO  (although delicious)
Purple carrots? NO
Squid ink? NO

BUT you might have some big orange carrots, some red potatoes, some sweet potatoes, a little garlic, a little onion and some rosemary from your apartment garden. Well, you have all the ingredients you need for a perfect side dish. Roasted Root Vegetables. Good at any of time of the year and so deliciously simple.

I usually pair this side with a main dish of  meat, poultry, or fish. I probably wouldn't serve it with pasta simply because you don't want to double your starches with the potatoes. If you do, your guests might go straight into food comas on your lovely furniture.

So, here is the recipe for Roasted Root Vegetables
 ( +'s indicate that you may add more if you wish)

Ingredients:

1 large yellow onion
1-2 sweet potatoes
5 + red potatoes, fingerling, or small golden potatoes
3 + carrots
2+ shallots (optional)
8+ cloves of garlic
Fresh rosemary
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper


The procedure:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

1) Chop onion, potatoes, carrots into relatively equal size small chunks
2) Peel shallots (optional)
3) In a large baking dish, toss chopped onions, all potatoes, carrots and shallots with olive oil and a good sprinkling of salt and pepper. Seasoning is key!
4) Place in oven and roast for 30 minutes
5) Meanwhile, peel garlic and chop rosemary
6) Remove baking dish from oven, and add garlic and rosemary. Toss to combine.
7) Place baking dish back in oven for 20 minutes more or until vegetables are soft and browned.
8) Serve them up!

Note: You may use a baking sheet to roast the vegetables, they just take less time to cook (approx 40 minutes)


Enjoy the smells that permeate through your kitchen as you cook this. Rosemary and garlic? Oh yes!