Roasted Winter Vegetables Recipe

There are three big reasons to roast winter vegetables. First and foremost, roasting makes winter vegetables of all kindsroot vegetables and brassicaswonderfully delicious. The insides get tender and more sweet while the outsides get browned and even slightly crispy. Second, roasting is a beyond-easy way to cook vegetables in general: just pop them in a hot oven and wait. Third, that hot oven can be a delight when weather is chilly, warming the kitchen in a most pleasing way. With modern central heating such a benefit is often forgotten, but it can be satisfying to think about all those cooks from generations before us getting warm and cozy while the oven roared. The exact ingredients are flexible. Substitute like-for-like or simply count on about 1/2 pound of raw vegetables per person and mix and match as you like. Cauliflower, broccoli, or brussels sprouts are good substitutes for the romanesco. A turnip or potato can take the place of the rutabaga. Sweet potato or red beet can stand in for the golden beet. Carrots are much like parsnips, and garlic or pearl onions are a lot like shallots.