It’s winter, in case ya’ll didn’t know. There’s snow, and there’s sub-zero temperatures and I feel like I’ve had the sniffles since Carter was in office. I know when the weather guys start warning us that the next Snowpocalypse is about to hit, everyone goes for the milk and bread, but I have another suggestion. Steer your cart towards the bins of winter vegetables! There is so much you can do with them… savory or sweet. For instance… this lovely, colorful dish. 

What we have here is all my favourite root veggies, plus an acorn squash, tossed with a little olive oil, salt, and herbs and then roasted. It’s inspired by Bon Appétit’s Roasted Root Vegetable Salad with Mint and Pistachio. I was looking for more of a rustic side dish to go with a pork chop, so I skipped the “salad” bit, but I liked the combination of veggies they used. 

Equipment:
Roasting pan or large cookie sheet (that’s what I used)
Tongs or a large spoon
Large mixing bowl
Knife
Cutting Board
Measuring spoons

Ingredients:
2 medium sized yams
3-4 small carrots
2-3 medium parsnips
3-4 golden beets (you could use red beets, too, if you want to shake up this whole orange and yellow thing we’ve got going)
1 acorn squash
2 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp fresh rosemary
1 tsp fresh sage
2 T olive oil
Salt

Preheat the oven to 425°. 

Chop the herbs finely and set aside.

Peel the yams, carrots and parsnips. Cut them, plus the beets into medium sized chunks. 

Cut the acorn squash in half and scoop out the seeds.

Then, cut each half into 1/4 inch slices. Slice across the width rather than vertically so you get little moon (ish) shapes. 

Put all the veggies into the mixing bowl, then add your olive oil, herbs, and a healthy pinch of salt. 

Toss to combine, so all the veggies are well coated. Pour them out onto your baking sheet or roasting pan and pop them in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Easy, right? You can definitely play around with the veggies. If you prefer sweet potatoes to yams, or red potatoes to parsnips, go for it! 

Also, if you don’t have access to or just don’t like the look of the fresh herbs in your grocery store, a blend of dried herbs like this one from Savory would work well, too.

I promise they’re not paying me to recommend them. I just really like their stuff! 

I know all the cold and snow and dreary skies can suck some of the colour out of life, but maybe this easy dish can help put some back, yeah?