The potato is one of the most versatile, economical, and tasty foods on this earth. There are countless ways to enjoy this basic vegetable. In this delicious recipe, diced potatoes are roasted with olive oil and thyme, and then tossed with creamy, tangy gorgonzola cheese and a touch of honey for a simple, yet elegant side dish.
Tag: roasted vegetables
The gorgeous colors in this roasted radish medley reflect its deeply satisfying taste. Radishes, baby beets, carrots, and Cipollini onions are roasted in a sauce of honey, olive oil, wine vinegar, and garlic. Roasting brings out a mellow flavor in the vegetables, especially the radishes. The lightly sweet flavors from the carrots and onions are balanced with the distinctively earthy taste of the beets.
It feels good knowing that these vegetables, grown in the earth, contain lots of vitamins and minerals to infuse my body with good energy. And the bright colors make them fun to work with. I know there are many people who don’t like radishes or beets. But when they are roasted in this flavorful sauce with their mellow flavors released from the roasting, and the melt-in-your-mouth texture, they really are delicious, especially when eaten warm, right out of the oven.
I adapted this recipe from one I found in the May/June issue of Victoria magazine. I find that magazine so inspiring, with its beautiful photographs and stories about women who follow their dreams. I only changed a few things in my recipe–I used orange carrots instead of white, and used baby beets instead of Chioggia beets. Also, I used white wine vinegar instead of Champagne vinegar, and my cooking time ended up taking a few minutes longer.
I find that I really enjoy working with vegetables. As I was peeling the skin off of the onions, I was thinking, you can’t really be in a rush to do this job….but then I realized how often I am in a rush–either in a true hurry to get somewhere on time, or a self-imposed rush to get more and more done. I let go of that feeling for a few minutes and peeled the onions, noticing their smell and their texture, and paid attention to the pretty pink hues of the beets and radishes as I washed them. I noticed that the beet stems look like roses. That the stripes in the beets are amazing. In the middle of a day and evening full of obligations and schedules, there was a window of time when I was present with the beauty of nature.
I am still working on posting some meals that can be ready quickly, or made ahead of time to be eaten when hungry people get home from soccer games and track meets….That is also part of my family’s reality. But for today, I am sharing a recipe that gave me a meditation with the vegetables, and made me feel more in touch with our beautiful earth (and with myself too). If you have a 20 minute window of time (plus about 25 minutes for while the vegetables roast), I highly recommend it. I hope you all have a great weekend! This week, Fiesta Friday is co-hosted by Mollie @ The Frugal Hausfrau and Scarlett @ Unwed Housewife, and I look forward to checking out some inspiring posts over there!
Roasted Radish Medley
Ingredients:
- approximately 1 pound of radishes, washed and trimmed, with about 1/2 inch of the green tops still on, cut in half length-wise
- 3-4 medium-sized carrots, washed and peeled, cut in half length-wise and then cut in half width-wise
- 8 ounces of Cipollini onions (you can also use pearl onions), peeled and blanched
- 4 baby beets (or 2 small Chioggia beets, if you can find them), trimmed, washed, and halved length-wise (it helps if the beet pieces are about the same size as the radishes, so the roasting time works for all the vegetables)
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons of butter, melted
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of salt
- black pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
In a small bowl, place the honey, olive oil, minced garlic, white wine vinegar, and melted butter. Whisk to combine.
In a large bowl, combine the radishes, carrots, blanched onions, and beets. Pour in the honey mixture and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Spread the vegetables on the baking sheet in a single layer, cut side down. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.
Roast in your 425-degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm. Enjoy!
This recipe is adapted from one in the May/June 2016 issue of Victoria magazine
It snowed almost all day today. The sandhill cranes must be getting ready to head south, because I could hear them at dusk this evening, calling and honking and making such a racket, gathering at the bird sanctuary near here. 
These are perfect times to roast vegetables, using nature’s bounty, warming up the kitchen, warming up ourselves. The recipe I have posted below is very flavorful and nourishing. I love the color combination of the vivid, golden butternut squash with the deep purple of the onion. Butternut squash and cauliflower can taste a little bland when cooked all on their own, but when they are roasted with a little olive oil, red onion and garlic, and then tossed with lemon and toasted walnuts, the result is delicious flavor and lots of nutrients. Add some grated Parmesan cheese, spoon the mixture into a pita pocket or onto a piece of flatbread, and you have a light, yet satisfying meal. This time of year makes me think of the following quote by the poet Wendell Berry: “Eating with the fullest pleasure is perhaps the profoundest enactment of our connection with the world. In this pleasure we experience and celebrate our dependence and our gratitude.”
Butternut Squash and Cauliflower Roasted with Red Onion and Garlic
Ingredients:
- 2 cups butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed in 1/2-inch pieces
- 2 cups cauliflower, cut into florets
- 1/2 cup red onion, sliced
- 1-2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup walnuts
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 pita bread pockets or 2-4 pieces flatbread
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Wash and chop/slice the vegetables. Spread the vegetables in a single layer onto a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Roast in your oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the vegetables start to turn lightly brown and are crisp-tender. While the vegetables are roasting, grate the teaspoon of lemon zest and squeeze the tablespoon of lemon juice into a cup. Also, on a separate baking sheet, lay out the walnuts and pita bread. For about the last five minutes of roasting time, place the walnuts and pita bread in the oven with the vegetables, till the walnuts are lightly toasted but not burned. Remove the walnuts, pita, and vegetables from the oven and toss the vegetables and walnuts in a bowl with 1 more tablespoon of olive oil, the grated Parmesan cheese, the lemon zest and lemon juice. Gently spoon the mixture into the pita pockets or spoon onto flatbread. Enjoy!
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