Weekend recipe - Roasted Fall Vegetables

Colder weather brings on a need for hearty, warming food that will keep you going when the weather chills. I drag out the crock pot, much to my husband’s discontent, and start making soups and stews.  This healthy roasted seasonal vegetable recipe uses a number of seasonal vegetables and makes a hearty side-dish.  If you cannot get fresh tomatoes, a large can of peeled roma tomatoes can be used instead.

Roasted Fall Vegetables

• 1 butternut squash, seeded and in chunks
• 8 medium new potatoes, scrubbed and halved
• 2 red onions, peeled and in wedges
• 1 medium eggplant, in chunks
• 1 red, 1 yellow pepper, seeded and in chunks
• 8 whole garlic cloves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 bay leaves
• A few sprigs of rosemary and thyme
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 5 to 7 roma tomatoes, halved

Place vegetables in the base of an enamel roasting tray and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Scatter over bay leaves, rosemary sprigs and thyme.

Drizzle generously with olive oil and toss vegetables around with the hands to coat. Place in a pre-heated oven 400F for around 20 minutes, until browning around the edges and almost cooked. If using canned tomatoes add them now, by tucking around the cooked vegetables.  Then return the pan to the oven for another 10 minutes - or until potatoes and squash are tender.

Then enjoy with a nice glass of Chianti or Barolo red wine. Great accompanying Italian meatballs but you could always eat them as a side dish with steak, chops, chicken breast or even as a meal in itself with a pasta or rice accompaniment.

If you are ready to use your crock pot, roasting oven or Dutch oven to make some fall dishes, check out the seasonal recipes page on the blog where we have posted a number of perfect choices.