Roasting Vegetables

One of my favorite things to do with vegetables is to roast them. I don't know what it is but the simple act of slicing or cubing vegetables into similar shapes/sizes, and then tossing them with olive oil, kosher salt and some pepper and tossing them on a pan and into a hot oven just makes me smile. Probably because I know how delicious they taste when they come out of the oven 20-40 minutes later!! They are fabulous on their own, used as toppings or stuffed inside a dish of your choosing. Mmmmm! So simple, yet so delicious! With all the vegetables readily available to us at this time of year it would be a shame not to try roasting a few of them! Give it a try... you won't be disappointed!!

Basic Roasted Vegetable Recipe

1. Vegetables of your choosing
2. Salt - I always use Kosher as I think it spreads itself wonderfully over the vegetables
3. Additional Seasonings of your choosing - I love using dried garlic, onions, thyme, basil, rosemary....etc. (if using fresh I recommend tossing the fresh finely chopped herbs in with your vegetables after they have been roasted)

Directions

* Preheat your oven - I like to roast mine at 400-425F (you can slow roast at much lower temps - I roast my tomatoes with  fresh garlic and basil at 350F but it takes much longer)
* Chop your vegetables to similar sizes - this will just help them roast more evenly
* The denser the vegetable the longer it will take to roast; i.e. potatoes - they will take much longer to roast than a tomato, zucchini, mushrooms, etc.
* Once chopped put your veggies into a large bowl and drizzle them with olive oil or the oil of your choosing. A tablespoon or two is plenty. Then toss them to coat evenly.
* Salt them - Start with a small amount - at most for a large bowl of veggies 1Tbsp. You can always add more but you cannot take it away :)
* Add additional dried seasonings; I usually use around 2 tsp of both minced & dried garlic and onion. If I'm going to use fresh herbs I always toss them with the veggies after they are cooked.
* Make sure you leave space between your veggies - they will roast and not steam cook this way.
* Use the top third of your oven. If roasting two pans of vegetables switch/rotate them when you stir them.
* Roast your veggies until they are both golden on the outside and soft/creamy on the inside. Some veggies will take 30 minutes while others may take closer to an hour. Good rule of thumb always check /toss/stir your veggies about 15 minutes into roasting them and then time them accordingly afterwards as to how done they already are. Once you've roasted specific veggies once or twice you will have a much better idea as to how long they will take!
* Taste your veggies when they come out - don't burn yourself though! Sprinkle a bit more salt if you think it needs it and or toss with fresh herbs and serve!