Roasted root vegetables
by Diana Earnshaw
Although they are available all year, in autumn and winter root vegetables really come into their own – especially when they are locally sourced and freshly uprooted. Now, they are cheap and plentiful. Root vegetables are very much thought of as comfort foods. Think of thick soups, stews and casseroles and creamy mashed potato. Due to their high fibre content, they are really filling, so less of the more expensive ingredients will be required.
We all know the lovely, crispy roast potatoes, but what about roasting parsnips, carrots, onions and other root veg? They take on a slightly sweet caramelised flavour and can accompany roast meats/veggie roasts or grills. This recipe is from Delia online:
Root vegetables are particularly high in fibre but they have some other useful nutrients too.
Potatoes – vitamins C (best with the skins in place) and vitamin B1 which works in conjunction with other B vitamins to create energy from our food.
Carrots – a superb source of beta-carotene. It is classed as an antioxidant and helps prevent cancer.
Parsnips – good for folic acid and higher in fibre than potatoes.
Swede – contains a little beta-carotene and vitamin C but also some of the cancer-fighting phytochemicals found in leafy greens.
They all contain a range of minerals including magnesium, calcium and potassium, but these will only be as good as the soil the vegetables are grown in.
Which is why you should obtain them from True Food!
Ingredients
- ½ swede (about 5 oz, 150 g), cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) wedges
- salt and freshly milled black pepper
- 4 small whole carrots
- 4 small whole parsnips
- 1 small turnip, cut in half and then into ¾ inch (2 cm) slices
- 2 medium red onions, peeled and cut through the root into quarters
- 2 red potatoes, 5 oz (150 g) each, cut into 6 wedges
- 1 fat garlic clove, crushed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 level tablespoon chopped mixed herbs (including thyme, rosemary and sage)
Method
First scrub the carrots and parsnips, dry them well and place them in a large bowl with all the other prepared vegetables.
Now add the crushed garlic, olive oil and mixed herbs; then, using your hands, mix well to make sure they all have a good coating of the oil. You can leave them like this covered with Clingfilm for up to 2 hours until you are ready to cook them – in which case the oil will have nicely absorbed the flavour of the garlic and herbs.
Then arrange them on the baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and a good grinding of black pepper and cook in the pre-heated oven on a high shelf for 35-40 minutes or until they are cooked through.
Other delicious additions could be beetroot, celeriac, sweet potato, artichoke or fennel.