Winter root vegetables aren’t much to look at. They aren’t the most inspiring of foods. Parsnips resemble large, pale carrots; rutabagas are a long bulbous root with a purple top and creamy white bottom; turnips look like rutabagas but have a thinner skin and are rounder. These hearty vegetables are an affordable, tasty way to eat food that’s produced in this region at this time of year. Root vegetables are best roasted in the oven because they hold their shape and their sweet flavors come out as they caramelize while roasting which brings out their sweet flavors. This is an easy dish to make and you’ll be surprised by how tasty these vegetables are together.

Roasted winter root vegetables
Adapted from recipe by George Erdosh

2 pounds assorted root vegetables (choose at least six from: turnips, rutabagas,
beets, parsnips, yams, potatoes and carrots)
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into eighths
8 cloves garlic, unpeeled
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons fresh or 1 tablespoon dry rosemary, chopped

Preheat oven to 450 °F. Scrub vegetables and cut into chunks or rounds. Cut fast-cooking vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, into larger chunks. Cut parsnips, turnips and rutabaga into medium- size chunks, and cut slow-cooking vegetables, such as carrots, beets and potatoes, into smaller chunks. Toss the vegetables, onion and garlic with oil in a baking dish. Sprinkle with salt. Cover baking dish with tinfoil. Roast vegetables for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Remove tin foil and add freshly ground pepper and rosemary. Continue roasting, uncovered, for another 15 to 20 minutes, or until vegetables are nicely browned and are soft when pierced with a fork.