Fall Roastin'

​Whenever I get a new vegetable that I don’t know what to do with, which I love by the way, I usually approach it like this:

1. I examine it: look at it closely, toss it up in the air, smell it, gently squeeze it, cradle it, ask it questions... (I'm normal I swear). But does it remind me of anything I am familiar with? How might this be used in cooking? Is it ripe?
2. I scour Pinterest for the best recipes that incorporate my new ingredient, daydreaming about the endlessly creative possibilities, then:
3. I stick with ol’ reliable, basic cooking: steaming, grilling, or my personal fave - roasting in the oven!

Every once in awhile I plan and execute some elaborate meals (and sometimes fall flat on my face), but for the most part, I go back to my roots. We’re big fans of effortless cooking, right?

In terms of finding new ingredients, I am a huge advocate for trying new foods whenever possible. While I get most of mine through my CSA (farm share), and have been introduced to all sorts of local vegetables that I had never even heard of, you can do this at any farmers market or grocery store! Let’s say you’re strolling through the produce while getting groceries and something catches your eye. You'd normally just walk past, but now:

Daikon? What the hell is that?

Pick it up, I dare you. You’ll figure out what to do with it after you bring it home! 

If this doesn’t sound like something you can do for whatever reason, try a new spice or flavor combo to explore instead. Saffron, anyone?

In a couple weeks, I’m going to be getting romanesca from my farm share… do you know what that is? It’s the most beautiful cruciferous veggie I may have ever seen (and that’s really saying a lot). Seriously, Google that ish.

I have found that when you use simple cooking methods like roasting vegetables, you let their unique awesomeness shine through. I can’t tell you how many times someone has said something along the lines of “I don’t normally like mushrooms but these are so good, what did you do?” and I’m sitting there thinking how funny it is that I did NOTHING to their mushrooms, other than sticking them in an oven.

Point is, I can’t take credit for how yummy this food was, because I hardly did a thing.
But, here’s what I did do, if you’d like to recreate this tasty pan o’ veggies or realize how simple cooking can be.

P.S. I’ve only cooked with eggplant a handful of times. I used to hate it. Then I made a BOMB eggplant parm (new ingredient scenario #2), and decided I could like this purple behemoth veggie. Turns out it also tastes really good slathered in balsamic and roasted with some other veggie friends.

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Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
I had all of these in my fridge, so I washed ‘em, chopped ‘em, and threw them in a big glass bowl.


Eggplant
Onion
Green Beans
Bell Peppers 
Mushrooms

I also added these veggies at the end:
Baby kale 
Corn

Dressing:
Olive Oil 
Balsamic Vinegar 
Garlic (I used 2 cloves but keep in mind I loooove garlic)
Handful fresh basil

1. Preheat oven to 425°F
2. Wash and prep veggies.
3. Blend dressing ingredients together (I love using my NutriBullet for impressive power and easy cleaning).
4. Toss dressing with veggies in a large bowl, enough to coat them but without tons of extra dressing. If there is extra dressing, save it to add more at the end or to use another time.
5. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet smeared with just a little olive oil to prevent stickiness. I sprinkled mine with salt and pepper before placing in the oven. 
6.  Bake for around 30 minutes, but keep a close eye on them.
7. When the veggies were just about done, I threw in some baby kale and fresh corn and popped everything in the oven together for the last couple minutes.

While the veggies are roasting, you could make some quinoa (15 minutes) to complete the meal or if you are feeding a grown man who works out a lot and needs a lot of fuel.   

How’s that for a quick and easy meal that is full of health boosting benefits?