Roast vegetables – Perfection takes time!
Posted on October 23, 2012 by Nina Timm in vegetarian
Roast vegetables? Who needs a recipe? Contrary to popular belief, quite a few people need and ask me for a recipe. I never had a proper recipe for roast vegetables! It was always a case of just popping a whole lot of vegetables in a roasting tray and leave the oven to do the rest. Sadly the the renditions of roast vegetables that I have had in the last while, leaves me to believe that there are a few pitfalls when roasting vegetables. I will gladly share my recipe for roast vegetables with you, but first let me deal with the pitfalls…..
Pitfall #1 – Roasting vegetables takes time
Often I arrive at a braai and the roasting pan with the vegetables are still on the kitchen counter and the meat is already on the grid. Big problem! To get the really sticky, charred vegetables you must allow at least 1½ hours for a big tray of roast vegetables. I cover my tray with foil for the first 30 minutes until all the vegetables are cooked, then open the tray and allow the vegetables to roast to perfection! So whatever your recipe for roast vegetables is, take time with it!
Pitfall #2 – Select your vegetables wisely
Root vegetables are perfect for roasting. These are your pumpkins, some squash, sweet potato, potato and carrots in all shapes and colors. Vegetables that have a tendency to make your roast watery are tomatoes, mushrooms and some squash such as your courgettes. Brinjals are perfect too, just treat with lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown. I love roast tomatoes, so to prevent the roast from going soggy, I add tomatoes 30 minutes before I remove roast from the oven. The same goes for mushrooms!
Pitfall #3 – Flavoring
For me personally, I like the less-is-more approach! In life and when making roast vegetables. Olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic and maybe a little turmeric for color or fresh thyme. That is it! I want to taste each and every vegetable, not the flavor you add on to it. Which brings us to the next pitfall!
Pitfall #4 – Buy fresh
We normally have roast vegetables after a shopping trip to our local fruit and vegetable store. I try and buy the smallest vegetables possible and they want to be cooked straight away. If you roast sad looking vegetables which are limp and not fresh , your end result will be dismal and not at all pleasant to the eye or taste buds . Try and get an whole array of different flavors and colors in your roasting tray…. the reward is so worth that extra 5 minutes you spent sourcing the best quality!
…and now for my favorite recipe for roast vegetables!
Recipe for roast vegetables
serves 6-8
Ingredients
6 – 8 mini brinjals
3 large potatoes
1 very large sweet potato
8 mini carrots
1 fennel bulb
4 patty pans
4 courgettes
250 g small tomatoes – tomatoes on the vine is so beautiful
250 g mushrooms
2 whole garlic bulbs – halved
125 ml olive oil
salt and pepper
1 tsp fine turmeric
a few sprigs fresh thyme or oregano
2 T good quality balsamic vinegar
Method
Preheat oven to 180C. Wash all the vegetables (except the mushrooms, garlic and tomatoes) and soak in a bowl with clean water to which you have added the juice of 1 lemon. Soak for about 5 minutes. Cut vegetables into even-sized chunks. Place all the vegetables except the mushrooms and tomatoes in a roasting tray. Mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and turmeric and drizzle over the vegetables. Place the fresh herbs on the vegetables and cover the roasting tray with foil. Roast covered for about 30 minutes or until the root vegetables like carrots and potatoes are soft. Remove the foil and roast for another 40 minutes and then add the mushrooms, garlic and tomatoes. Continue roasting until the vegetables are caramelized and charred. Serve with roast chicken or fish or as a meal on its own with crumbed feta over the top.
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