Baked roots: autumn harvest melange

I roasted a darkly psychedelic fall harvest melange in honor of the chilliest evening yet this autumn. It makes me want to howl at the moon, jitterbug with some skeletons, ride an owl, toss a penny into a void, or something like that. I thought I'd share the simple recipe I use, which was mostly based on stuff I had growing in my garden in Portland the first time I made it several years ago. (Not pictured: whole garlic cloves and goat chevre)

Autumn Harvest Melange (roasted root vegetables)

Ingredients:

1 large winter squash (I like delicata and red kuri the best for the dish, but any number of varieties will suffice. I suggest picking up what looks most interesting to you at your local farmer's market, co-op, or pick-it-yourself farm)

2 large chioggia beets (the more common dark red variety works just as well)

1 crisp apple or pear of your choice (or go with both for an added touch of sweetness)

2 whole carrots

1 entire bulb of garlic, cloves peeled and separated

Fresh sage

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. black pepper

1 small log of goat chevre

Optional: Red and purple potatoes

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 425. Coat a 9x13 inch baking pan or casserole dish with olive oil and set aside. Chop all of the ingredients into cubes roughly a square inch, and add to the pan as they're chopped. Grind sea salt and pepper over the vegetables, drizzle a tsp of olive oil over the top, then mix gently with a large spoon.

Place in the oven and bake for 30-45 minutes, or until vegetables reach desired consistency. They should be slightly firm on the edges, soft inside, and stand up to stabbing with a fork without completely turning to mush.

Crumble dollops of goat chevre all over the melange, and gently mix it around with the spoon, taking care not to smoosh everything together.

Serve hot and, if desired, douse with a smoked chipotle hot sauce (or crank it up with some ghost pepper flakes). Listen to the wind through the trees. Shiver. Take a bite. Pretend the trees outside your dining room window are talking about you.

Here's what the finished thing looks like:

#recipes #autumn #fall #rootvegetables