My millennial children mock me for my many ways of preparing “random root vegetables,” but they also enjoy them! It may not be poetry, but it is accurate—and also delicious.

Roasted Random Root Vegetables

The trick here is to cook the vegetables in stages: start with the hard ones to give them a head start in a hot oven, then follow up with softer vegetables turning down the heat slightly. Be generous with the olive oil and sea salt.

I don’t use broccoli, cauliflower or parsnips for this dish, as they have strong flavours that don’t always play nicely with others.

Ingredients

Choice of vegetables:
Sturdy veg: Carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes, beets, potatoes, cabbage, etc.
Softer: Peppers, onions, leeks, garlic,
Soft: tomatoes

Olive oil
Sea salt
Red pepper flakes
Maple syrup (optional)
Rosemary sprigs (optional)

Guidelines

Preheat oven to 450f

Peel hard vegetables and chop them into same-sized cubes.

Place in a large bowl and pour a generous amount of olive oil over them so that they are well-coated.

Season with sea salt and red pepper flakes and rosemary sprig, if using. Mix well.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the veg on the paper making sure each piece is touching the paper. If the veg is too crowded, it won’t crisp.

Bake for 20 minutes while you prepare the softer vegetables.

Cut strips of peppers and chunks of onions and place in the bowl with the oil and salt. Mix until well coated, adding more olive oil and salt if required.

Turn down the oven to 375 and add the softer veg to the hard veg and cook for 20 minutes.

Add tomatoes (if using), after 15 minutes.

If using maple syrup, add a few tablespoons for the last five minutes of cooking and mix well (a lovely touch if you’re using turnips or cabbage).

Garnish with pomegranate seeds if you’re feeling fancy.

Serve as a side. Shown with an Italian sausage from Lavergne Meat and Deli in Navan, Ontario.

Grilled sausage with “random roasted veg,” in this case, sweet potatoes, onions, and red peppers