Roasted Veggies: Tips from a Pro

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Roasted Veggies: Tips from a Pro

Roasting is one of the easiest ways to get copious amounts of vegetables on the dinner table in a way that’s so tasty the whole family will like them.  This week’s tips come from former market “fixture” (before they moved their farm to Rice, WA) and organic farmer Kristine Winniford.  She (and her husband Andrew) grow a nearly 2 acre garden to supply their family of 7 (and their pastured pigs – Cold Hollow Hogs) with a year’s supply of vegetables.  She’s a self described “food geek” and a master at utilizing garden goodness.

Q: Your family eats a lot of veggies, and I know roasting is one of your key methods of preparation.  Could you give us some tips on how to do this successfully?

Kristine: First off, I LOVE roasting vegetables. When you have a family as large as mine it is a really efficient way to cook up a lot of veggies at one. I use a sheet tray (or a cookie sheet) and fill it up with veggies and give it a good drizzle of olive oil, LOTS of garlic, and generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. But it works great for a small family or couple/single as well because you can cook just what you need.

Roasting by definition involves high heat and relatively dry veggies, but you do need some oil to encourage even cooking. I tend to cook my heavier stuff (like potatoes and winter squash) at 450* and everything else at 425*Keep your pieces fairly uniform so they cook uniformly.  Cooking times are really variable based on the size of the pieces so I stir it well after 15 minutes and then give it another 10-20 minutes based on how it looks (and my preference for crunchy veggies).  (Fork-tender is a good test of done-ness.)

Q: What vegetables work best?

Kristine: I think just about any veggie can roasted but my favorites include: broccoli, any root vegetable, zucchini, winter squash, cabbage, and sturdy greens (like kale and chard). Wet veggies like tomatoes are a great addition too.

Q: Do you have a “secret sauce” when it comes to roasting?

Kristine: The “secret” IMO to good roasted veggies a good drizzle of some sort of tasty acid. I prefer balsamic vinegar, I keep a big Costco bottle for every day use and then a small bottle of an aged Balsamic for special occasions (and ice cream, because it’s amazing). Other options are any vinegar (especially herbal infused vinegars) or a citrus (orange juice and the zest on roasted potatoes is awesome!).