A roasted root vegetable medley, featuring parsnips, carrots, and red potatoes, sprinkled with fresh minced rosemary.
Although we live in a world in which we can access just about any ingredient at any given time, I sure do love cooking along with the seasons. What can I say? I'm just a festive soul that way. However, cooking in harmony with nature's bounty has more benefit than just sending over the warm and fuzzies. It actually tastes better as well.
Eating seasonally (more times than not) means that you are ingesting natures goodness at peak freshness, and there is a much smaller span of time from when the produce was harvested, to the very moment it is served upon your table. The cliff notes version? It simply tastes better this way.
This recipe is a root vegetable medley, featuring two of fall's sweetest offerings -- carrots and parsnips. If you happen to be whipping up this ditty in the fall, you can count on an extra dose of sweetness from those two lovelies, making this the perfect side dish to serve up alongside any savory, roasted protein.
For good measure and a little sustenance, some red potatoes are added to round it all out. The simple sprinkle of fresh minced rosemary elevates the dish, giving us a quick and easy flavor upgrade.
HOW TO ROAST ROOT VEGETABLES
When roasting just about anything, it is important to take both the type of oil you are using, as well as the temperature into consideration. Different oils have different smoke points. For example, butter has a fairly low smoke point, meaning it will burn and blacken much faster than an oil with a higher smoke point. In this recipe, we will use canola oil. Canola oil ensures that we can cook the vegetables at a higher temperature, without having to worry about burning them.
BEST TEMPERATURE FOR ROASTING ROOT VEGETABLES
I usually like to roast vegetables at as high of a temperature as I can get away with. The higher the temperature, the less cook time is involved and the crispier things get. I like crispy, don't you? For this recipe, roasting the vegetables coated with canola oil at 425° yielded a perfect outcome. Please note that for even cooking, it is important that you turn the vegetables halfway through the cooking process.
SERVING OPTIONS
This recipe for roasted root vegetables is simple and easy to throw together, making it perfect to serve as a healthy weeknight side dish option. But that's not all folks: This little ditty is colorful, beautiful and flavorful. If that's not a triple threat when it comes to entertaining, I don't know what is. Ya know what? let's take this one step further...how 'bout a quadruple threat? Guys, this side pairs well with so many wonderful things! It would be especially lovely next to a whole roasted chicken, a smothered pork chop or braised short ribs. Please, enjoy.
A roasted root vegetable medley, featuring parsnips, carrots, and red potatoes, sprinkled with fresh minced rosemary to make a wonderful flavor.
- 4 carrots rinsed and peeled
- 3 parsnips rinsed and peeled
- 4 standard-sized red potatoes rinsed
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh, minced rosemary
- 1 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/ 2 teaspoon black pepper
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Cut both the carrots and parsnips on a bias into ¾" pieces. Cut the larger pieces toward the stem in half so that all pieces are roughly the same size. Transfer to the baking sheet and set aside.
Cut the potatoes into ⅛'s, and add to the baking sheet.
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Drizzle the vegetables with oil and sprinkle with rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat.
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Transfer to the oven and bake for 30 minutes, carefully turning the vegetables with a spatula halfway through the cooking process. Remove from the heat, serve and enjoy.
