Roasted Winter Root Vegetables

Every once in a while a recipe will be posted on another blog and I know it is only a mere matter of days before I try it out...usually because I have been seeking inspiration for a particular ingredient.  In this case, the ingredients are the root veggies from the CSA.  Yes, I am still trying to work my way through the parsnips, potatoes, carrots, beets and turnips.  Wouldn't you know, this recipe uses all of them.  Jenny tosses the entire batch of roasted veggies with a wonderful balsamic dressing, topped with feta and pine nuts.  I know I should have tried with the feta...they need the extra burst of creamy saltiness.  The recipe also calls to toss the veggies in a balsamic dressing.  The dressing is amazing, and a welcome addition to many other salads, leafy or otherwise, but I found even half of a recipe to be a bit too much for the amount of roasted veggies.  The roasted veggies are just as wonderful with a little squeeze of lemon and a dash of salt.

Adapted from Jenny's recipe at Spoon Fork Bacon

serves 4

The Ingredients:
for the veggies
3-4 beets, peeled and cut into quarters
4-6 carrots, peeled and cut into 1" pieces on the diagonal
2 shallots, peeled and halved
2-4 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1" pieces on the diagonal
2 turnips, trimmed and cut into eighths
6-8 small purple potatoes, halved (or quartered if larger)
3 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

for the dressing:
1/2 shallot, minced
1 garlic of clove, minced
2 Tbsp  brown sugar
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

The Process:
for the veggies:

 Preheat the oven to 375.

Toss the veggies in oil, salt and pepper and divide evenly among two rimmed baking sheets.  Bake uncovered for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the veggies are tender and beginning to caramelize. 

Remove for oven and allow to cool slightly.

for the dressing:
Combine all of the ingredients 1-pint mason jar.  Using an immersion blender, mix until thick and well combined.  Or, seal tightly and shake.

to finish:
Toss the veggies with half of the dressing.  Sprinkle with feta, if desired.  Serve warm or cold.

Roasted Parsnips with Horseradish Butter

The end of January lingers on.  And would you believe we still have veggies left from our last CSA storage box?  Those carrots, parsnips, potatoes and squash certainly hold up well in the right conditions.  And the bright snap of a carrot when the temperature dips below 0 is a welcome bit of hope of what spring and summer may bring.

But the parsnips...I love them, but these poor pale roots usually leave me a bit uninspired.  This preparation is simple and nothing unique.  However, paired with the horseradish butter, these roasted winter veggies absolutely shine!  The bite of the garlic and horseradish is mellowed by the sweetness of the parsnips and rounded out by the butter. 

adapted from Elise's recipe at Simply Recipes

serves 4

The Ingredients:
for the parsnips
1 1/2 pounds of parsnips
1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup of vegetable stock

for the butter
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp bottled horseradish, drained
1/2 Tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 green onion, minced
1 garlic clove, minced

The Process:
Preheat the oven to 400.

Peel the parsnips and cut into stick of an even thickness, about 2 1/2 to 3 inches long.  Toss the parsnips with oil, salt and pepper and arrange in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheets.  Pour the stock over the parsnips.

Roast, uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until the parsnips are tender and beginning to caramelize

Set aside and keep warm.

In a small bowl, mash together the butter, herbs and horseradish.  Toss about half of the horseradish butter with the parsnips.  Add more butter to taste.  Sprinkle with additional parsley, if desired