If not for fear of alienation, I would probably talk about roasting vegetables every chance that I get from, oh, a few weeks ago until well into this coming spring. Around that time, I'll be hungry for at-room temperature salads and other things.
In an attempt to perhaps get a bit of it out of the way all at once, I want to talk about roasting vegetables right now.
The most amazing thing about this process, to me, is that I have managed to take pretty much every vegetable that I hated as a child and instead found a way to absolutely love them. Sometimes too much. Asparagus, parsnips, cabbage, and brussel sprouts. Oh, how I abhorred the sprouts of Brussel! For the asparagus, it was the Ina Garten recipe. I've played with it quite a lot and now make it in a variety of ways. Or, I stick with the bare essentials -- olive oil, kosher salt, freshly-ground black pepper, and almost any vegetable. Roast until desired tenderness versus crispness ratio is attained.
I have also learned to like quite a lot of new vegetables. Turnips were a complete surprise for me. They can be nicely caramelized, yet there's a burst of tasty juice when you bite into them. And, kale. Oh, for the love of kale. I drizzle a few drops of olive oil onto a pile of roughly torn leaves, rub it in with my hands, and then add a touch of salt. Spread out leaves, put in a hot oven and watch closely. I eat these like potato chips.
Oven temperature. I don't have an exact one to share. I keep my oven somewhere between 400 and 450 degrees Fahrenheit for roasting. With most items, I flip them over about halfway through cooking, so that would be around the time that you notice caramelization. (I don't flip the kale.)
There are a few vegetables that I've yet to roast and that would mostly encompass the squash family. I have a squash fear based upon some sort of experience that I had as a child in which it was paired with brown sugar and butter. I'll take care of that situation next autumn.
Parsnips and carrot sticks with sage are really good. I like my roasted potatoes with a lot of thyme and maybe some rosemary. I also like to toy with spicy varieties containing lemon, mustard, and/or cayenne. Adding shaved grana and a bit of breadcrumbs before roasting asparagus makes it a hearty side dish. If in doubt, start with the basics (in italics a few paragraphs back).
So, roasting vegetables ... I'm doing a lot of it. I will try not to litter the page with all of my experiences.
This is also my chance to ask if you are roasting anything that I should try. I'm really up for some new recommendations. (Vegan, please.)
