Roasted Root Vegetables

This recipe is more of a technique guide rather than a recipe. Use any vegetables you want, use any herbs – fresh or dried you like, and add garlic if you want.

The technique tips would be:

1. Cut all vegetables the same size,
2. Use a hot 425 degree oven
3. Place oven rack on the bottom shelf
4. Don’t use too much olive oil so the vegetables are swimming in oil.
5. Do not overcrowd vegetables on cookie tray.

I like to use any combination of potatoes – new potatoes or peeled russet potatoes, carrots, fennel, beets, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and pearl onions (buy frozen), or quartered and peeled onions. Peel the root vegetables to allow the sugars to caramelize.

Cut everything into 2-inch pieces or all the same size.  In a large bowl, add ¼ cup olive oil, some garlic (optional), salt and pepper, and fresh or dried thyme or rosemary (optional), and mix all veggies together and place on 1 or 2 cookie trays.  Do not overcrowd the vegetables and make sure they have enough air circulating around each of them. Make sure one flat side of each veggie is making contact with the cookie tray for great browning. 

Roast in a 425 oven on bottom shelf for 20 minutes and if they are well browned, turn them over and continue cooking another 20 minutes or until easily pierced with a knife.