Roasted Winter Root Vegetables

Seasonal root veggies with a fragrant toss of rosemary and garlic.

SERVINGS
4

INGREDIENTS
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
1 head cauliflower, pulled apart of cut into small florets
6 to 10 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 shallot, coarsley chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 to 4 whole sprigs rosemary
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

PREPARATION
1. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Combine the cauliflower, squash, garlic, and shallot in a roomy work bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables, season with 1 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper, and toss to coat. Pile the vegetables into a roasting pan or terra cotta baking dish. The vegetables shouldn’t be in a single layer, they’ll stay moist and steam each other when piled into the dish. Arrange the rosemary sprigs all around. Sprinkle with the pine nuts.

2. Roast the vegetables for 20 minutes. If they become a bit dry, drizzle with additional oil and add a few tablespoons of water, not a lot, just enough to bump up the moisture. After 20 minutes or so, the vegetables will be browning on top, so turn them with a spoon and continue roasting another 15 minutes, or until the squash is fork tender and caramelized on the bottom of the dish. Remove the baking dish from the oven. Adjust the seasonings and sprinkle with parmesan, if using. Cover the baking dish lightly with foil to allow vegetables to sweat and rest. After 5 minutes, the rosemary should be soft and fragrant. Any leaves remaining on the twigs can easily be pulled off and mixed with the juices.

5 Superfood Groups for Autumn

Along with reducing energy use at home, one of the things we can all do to ease the stress on the environment and potentially save money, is to eat local and that means eating foods that are in season. With that in mind here are five superfood groups that are in season in the northern hemisphere during autumn, along with links to some great recipes for each of them.

1. Beets

The beet has a long history of cultivation strecthing back to the second millenium BC. The plant was probably domesticated somewhere along the Mediterranean, whence it was later spread to Babylonia by the 8th century BC and as far west as China by 850 AD. Beets’ potential effectiveness against colon cancer, in particular, has been demonstrated in several studies. Beets are also particularly rich in the B vitamin folate. The usually deep-red roots of garden beet are eaten boiled either as a cooked vegetable, or cold as a salad after cooking and adding oil and vinegar. A large proportion of the commercial production is processed into boiled and sterilised beets or into pickles. In Eastern Europe beet soup, such as cold borscht, is a popular dish.

2. Sweet Potatoes and Pumpkin

Besides simple starches, sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene (a vitamin A equivalent nutrient), vitamin C, and vitamin B6. In 1992, the Center for Science in the Public Interest compared the nutritional value of sweet potatoes to other vegetables. Considering fiber content, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium, the sweet potato ranked highest in nutritional value. According to these criteria, sweet potatoes earned 184 points, 100 points over the next on the list, the common potato. It may be a beneficial food for diabetics, as preliminary studies on animals have revealed that it helps to stabilize blood sugar levels and to lower insulin resistance. The dark orange vegetable family outdoes all others in vitamin A content. Other dark orange vegetable that share these wonderful qualities include pumpkin, carrots, butternut squash, and orange bell peppers.

Pumpkin, Apple and Leek Soup

Roasted Winter Root Vegetables

3. Cruciferous Vegetables

Crucifers such as broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, collards and turnips contain indole alkaloids that may help prevent cancer. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have recently discovered that 3,3′-Diindolylmethane in Brassica vegetables is a potent modulator of the innate immune response system with potent anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-cancer activity. They are also high in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Along with their fabulous flavor, once you get the hang of cooking them, they may have an added bonus: they may help bolster memory as you age. Researchers at Harvard Medical School found that women who eat the most of these foods are the least likely to be forgetful.

Roasted Winter Root Vegetables

4. The Alliums

Allium is the onion genus, with about 1250 species, making it one of the largest plant genera in the world. It includes foods such as garlic, onions, leeks, scallions, chives and shallots, which contain sulfur compounds that may protect against heart disease and some cancers, they can also help the liver deal with toxins and carcinogens. Onions may be especially beneficial for women, who are at increased risk of osteoporosis as they go through menopause, by destroying osteoclasts so that they do not break down bone. Some of the pleiomeric chemicals in onions have the potential to alleviate or prevent sore throat.

Roasted Winter Root Vegetables

5. Beans

There are many foods within the bean family, including the commen bean, runner beans, soybeans, peas, lentils, kidney beans, chickpeas (garbanzos), vetches and lupins. An excellent source of protein, antioxidants, folic acid, potassium, dietary fiber and complex carbohydrates, beans are flavorful, nutritionally dense, inexpensive and versatile. Some kinds of raw beans and especially red and kidney beans, contain a harmful toxin (the lectin Phytohaemagglutinin) that must be destroyed by cooking. A recommended method is to boil the beans for at least ten minutes; undercooked beans may be more toxic than raw beans.