I've been on a roasted veggie kick lately and have been doing everything from brussel sprouts to sweet potatoes.

Last night I made some brussel sprouts by first clipping the outer leaves and cutting them in half. Then I blanched them in boiling water with small pinch of baking powder (for the intense green color) for about 45 seconds, put them in an ice bath and finished the process by putting them in a salad spinner to get the excess water off). After that, I tossed them in large bowl with olive oil, salt (plenty of it), and freshly cracked black pepper until everything was well (but lightly) coated. I laid them out, cut side down, on a sheet pan and placed them on the bottom rack of a 525 degree oven for 15 minutes.

While they were roasting, I did a medium dice 8 strips of thick cut bacon and then rendered it off. Once the sprouts were done, I sprinkled the bacon on top (for Thanksgiving, I'll toss the finished sprouts in some of the bacon fat for added flavor).

I am really not a fan of brussel sprouts, but THESE are out of this world!

Recently (and frequently) roasted:
beets
eggplant
buttercup or kabocha squash
garlic
brussels sprouts
poblano chiles, tomatillos and sweet onions

something new for me (yesterday):
roma tomatoes--too mealy to eat, but halved, scooped out and drizzled with EVO and salt and roasted in a moderate oven, they turned into quasi-sundried, sweet-salty and chewy. Veddy intedestink! I shall perhaps use them as a garnish for a salad or mixed in with some cous-cous or pasta.

I've found that roasting transforms alot of blah vegetables into something great. There's like a 15 page thread on eGullet solely about roasted cauliflower. I don't know if it 'tastes like french fries' as some have claimed, but it does become absolutely addictive when caramelized in the oven.

Other favs:
Parsnips
Turnips
Carrots
Olives (ala Two Amys)
As Zora mentioned, slow roasted tomatoes with olive oil and garlic are amazing.

I haven't done olives in a while, but I like to roast parnsips/turnips/carrots/potatoes together. Roasted plum tomatoes are wonderful. I used some, beautifuly caramelized, to top meatloaf recently. I also like to roast red bell peppers.

Roasting red peppers is a good way to reclaim peppers that have been in the refrigerator too long. I buy bags of them with the best of intentions and the last few grow wrinkly in the vegetable drawer. Roasting brings them back to a very usable ingredient.

We're big fans of roasted cauliflower--I try to make it once a week or so. We made it at Thanksgiving and my FIL said it tasted like potatoes I guess it does to some people.

We also like to roast carrots and brussel sprouts. Sweet potatoes work in a pinch. Haven't tried others but we should...

Try them ala Lidia Bastianich!

Roasted Cauliflower is great! Sometimes, after roasting it, I'll puree it with some warm chicken stock and butter and eat it like mashed potatoes.


Roasted sweet potatoes are great too. I like to peel them and cut them into cubes. Then toss them with olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh cut rosemary before I roast them. The rosemary really compliments the sweetness of the potatoes.

I roasted vegetables all day Sat for a party we had that evening. I did cauliflower, carrots (w/balsamic), new red potatoes with sea salt and rosemary (the rosemary still grows through the winter on the south side of the house), cippollini onions, tiny red onions, (onions were roasted in balsalmic too), parsnips, red pepper slices, and decorated with these baby tiger squash that I had blanched for 3 minutes prior to roasting them. They looked beautiful arranged on a large white rhomboid shaped platter.

I use olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, and a good quality Madras curry powder with sweet potatoes.

I agree with a lot of the previously mentioned veggies. The only other I can think of that I really like, but hasn't been mentioned, is roasted green beans. Really improves otherwise average quality beans (not delicate haricots verts).

How could I have forgotten to put cauliflower on my list? I just made some two nights ago.
Also, a very popular one at my house--asparagus! I just bought some today at WF and will probably roast them tonight or tomorrow night. I drizzle them with Meyer lemon-infused olive oil that I make before I roast and then give them a shot of lemon juice when they come out of the oven. And salt, of course.

I forgot asparagus so we're even! I find that it gets a little limp instead of crispy--I think I use too much oil but it's still darn tasty.

Not a fan of Brussel sprouts, but even I might like them the way you describe. Heck, a sprinkling of bacon can make anything edible!

As for roasted veggies, I like roasted root vegetables best. I especially like a blend of carrots and parsnips roasted with just a bit of olive oil, salt, and rosemary. Potatoes are my next favorite, especially if you can manage to get the nice crispy edges without them getting wilted.

In the summer, I really like roasted tomatoes. Fine Cooking magazine did an article several years ago on slow roasted tomatoes, and I do several huge batches every summer through the tomato season.

I've had roasted asparagus at restaurants, and it was delightful. When I've tried it at home it was a limp, greasy mess. (I've had similar problems with green beans.) Anyone have the secret to perfectly roasted asparagus?

I REALLY, REALLY, REALLY dislike brussel sprouts! Always have! But for some reason, these are my favorite roasted veggies. I HIGHLY recommend this recipe!

Would you mind sharing your recipe for the roasted tomatoes?


I've never made roasted asparagus at home, but it seems to me that if you roast it at a very high temp (turning the oven up as high as it will go and let it stay at the temp for about 10 minutes before you put the pan in), you'll be able to carmalize the outside of the asparagus quicker - without the inside getting a chance to turn to mush. Or what about pan-roasing them?

You are probably leaving them in too long and/or roasting at too low a temperature. Use less oil, you just want to lightly coat them.
It only takes five minutes or a bit more at 400 degrees.

Do what Zora said. Light oil, high heat, short time. Time varies by size, pencil thin asparagus takes much less time than big fat ones. We use ones that are as thick as a man's thumb and the time is closer to ten minutes.

Also, peel the lower stems or snap the ends off, or both. Snapping at the natural snapping place generally gives more tender asparagus than cutting off the end, and more waste. Use a roasting pan that lets you spread out to one layer. Lightly sprinkle with Kosher or sea salt. Place pan in middle of pre-heated oven. Watch like a hawk, you can multi-task with a non-demanding task but not a demanding one.

Similar recommendations for green beans. If you use a small pan and stack the beans, they will steam rather than roast. Spread them out.

fennel

never roasted it myself but the neoghbors do it w/ a little olive oil and balsamic and its just divine

Zora, this surprises me. When I've used lemon olive oil before roasting, the result is awful - a bizarre burnt lemon taste developed. But drizzled on at the end - that's the best.

It may be because my lemon olive oil isn't all that lemon-y. I've never had a problem, though when I am grilling asparagus on the bbq, I use plain olive oil.