Roasted Root Vegetbles

 This time of year calls for some hearty flavors to help get through the winter. Roasted root vegetables come to the rescue! Any combination of carrots, parsnips, celeriac, turnips, rutabagas and garlic along with some onions and herbs like thyme or parsley will work. Start by peeling the vegetables and cutting them into pieces roughly the same size. The shape doesn't really matter, as long as they are relatively uniform. I cut mine to resemble french fries. Preheat your oven to 350 and coat the vegetables and aromatics with some type of fat, coarse sea salt and black pepper. If you happen to have access to some rendered duck or goose fat, it works the best, but olive oil or another type of vegetable oil works just fine. Don't use butter, as it will burn too easily.

 You can roast the vegetables in a cast iron skillet, or a roasting pan. Pre-heating the pan isn't really necessary, though you could do it. Make sure you don't burn the vegetables if you use a pre-heated pan. Place the vegetables in your pan of choice, being careful not to crowd them too much. They should be no more than "2-deep" in the pan or else they will steam instead of roast. Depending on how you cut them, they will take from 30 to 60 minutes. You want them to be thoroughly tender and a light caramel color. Err on the side of over-cooked, as you don't really want them al dente. They are now ready to be used for a number of things.

 They go really well in risotto, especially as a side dish with duck, chicken or pork. They also are great in pasta, or with something like braised lamb shanks and white beans. It is amazing how sweet and savory they are at the same time. The parsnips will taste like candy! The garlic and herbs add some brightness to an otherwise very earthy dish. Experiment with this recipe to suit your taste and you will be rewarded with something that is easy to prepare ahead of time and will taste like a dish from a fancy restaurant.