Tips & Recipes for In-Season Eating, by CSM Owner Megan Squire
(Roasted root vegetables on left, served with Dandelion frittata on right)
How to Roast Root Vegetables
This is one of those recipes that isn’t really worthy of being called a “recipe”. It’s more of a technique. In the winter and spring, locavores here in NC are faced with what I like to call the Beet Conundrum. We’ve basically got a plethora of root vegetables and not enough ways to cook them. Roasting them is the default, so you should know this method first above all others. When you get sick of roasting your root veggies, you can move on to more exotic preparations.
Here’s the basic prep for roasting: You’ll peel/chop the veggies, put them in a bag with olive oil and spices, mix them in the bag, then pour onto a baking sheet and roast on the top rack of a 400-degree oven until tender. Piece of cake.
Now here’s the details:
What do I mix this stuff in? Use a gallon size zipper bag OR a leftover bread bag OR a leftover produce bag from the grocery store. (You don’t throw those out do you?!? So useful…)
What kinds of veggies? I like potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips – all unpeeled, chopped into mouth-sized bites – and I like my beets and turnips peeled. I like to also add an onion, chopped in half lengthwise, then each half chopped into thirds or quarters. You should use whatever hearty, root veggies you have on hand or whatever the farmers are selling at the moment.
How many veggies? Well, this depends a bit on how hungry you are and how big your roasting pan is. These roasted veggies re-heat VERY well so I like to make extra.
How much olive oil? This is a bit of personal preference. You need enough that each piece will touch the oil but you don’t want them dripping with it. Maybe 1 tablespoon per 2 cups of whole vegetables? Put the oil in the bag with the vegetables and see what it looks like. Start with less oil, you can always add more.
How much spice and which ones? Mmm, this is my favorite part. Mince the leaves from a few stalks of rosemary and from a handful of thyme stalks, and blend in some minced garlic (3 or 4 cloves) or garlic powder if you have no garlic on hand, and some salt and pepper. If you are feeling very lazy, get a packet of Good Seasons dressing out of your emergency pantry stash and throw that in the bag instead.
How to cook it? Now that everything’s in the bag, just mix it around until it’s coated nicely. Make sure you have enough oil so that each piece can get some spices stuck to it. Dump it out on the roasting pan, jelly roll pan, or baking sheet. (I like to use a stainless steel half-sheet cake pan.) Pop it in the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Run a metal spatula through the veggies to unstick them from the bottom of the pan and flip them over a bit, then pop them back in the oven. Every 10 minutes or so, check that it’s doing ok and that stuff is getting browned but not sticking to the bottom. Stick a fork into one of the veggies and see how it’s doing. The potatoes will take the longest, especially if you left the pieces very large in size.
Boardmember Eric Henry says: “This a game changer for our community and will push us over the finish line to get our co-op grocery store opened, but this still does not diminish the need for more owners and investors in order to reduce the amount we need to borrow from the bank. Thanks for everyone’s support!”
Nate Perry, CSM’s Marketing & Communications Co-Manager says: “The hard work and focus of many has paid off! Congrats B-town and CSM!!!”
Preferred Shares Now Available
May 7th, 2010The Time Is Now: Buy your preferred shares today
Are you ready for the grand opening of Company Shops Market? We are so close. Construction can begin just as soon as we sell $300,000 in preferred shares. With a little help from you, we can be open for business this year.
Invest in three simple steps:
It’s that simple…. *For more information, visit our Become An Investor page
Company Shops Market Board Member Eric Henry
Boardmember Eric Henry says: “The paperwork is complete to buy preferred shares. We need to raise the final $300K to start the construction and open the store. If all of us, 1600 owners, bought the minimum $200 share we will have raised the funds. The time is now and we need your help. Let’s reconnect to our local agriculture!”
“Any of my North Carolina friends not join Company Shops Co-op yet? We have over 1,600 owners. We need your help to raise the final $300k and get the store open by this winter. Go to www.CompanyShopsMarket.coop/invest to get a preferred share subscription packet, invest as low as $200. Still got questions on why we need a co-op grocery store in downtown Burlington, give me a call, love to talk more. Thanks!”
Sharon Dent, Board President of Company Shops Market
Board president Sharon Dent says: “The investment documents for Preferred Shares are ready! Time for you to purchase your preferred shares now so that we can close on the loan and start construction!”
“We all want to see the market opened by the end of the year — and the Board would like to sign the commitment letter with Fidelity Bank for the $1.1 million loan in the next couple of weeks so that we can get started with the construction process.”
“In order to be prudent with investors’ money, the Board will only pull that trigger to start the process when we feel comfortable the $300,000 remaining in our $2.3 million project can be raised. “
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