A staple in our house is seasonal roasted vegetables. Eating with the seasons is not only economical, it is also much more flavorful. By eating seasonally, you support local farmers, U.S. farmers, and decrease your carbon footprint. The average meal travels 1500 miles, http://www.pbs.org/e2/teachers/teacher_309.html. The average Christmas dinner travels 9000 miles.
Seasonal eating is easier than you think. It does require a little thought and planning, but the outcome is so delicious and nutritious that it makes it well worth the effort. I first started thinking about seasonal eating when I read Animal Vegetable Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver , http://www.animalvegetablemiracle.com/ This is an insightful book into seasonal and local eating that doesn’t make you feel guilty, but makes you want to get outside and get the Earth under your fingernails. She also includes many wonderful and simple recipes that rotate and evolve around what is in season. I had the good fortune to find this book in a Seattle book store five years ago, and I have read it on an annual basis ever since. Kingsolver also talks about the vegetannual which describes which vegetables are available seasonally / monthly. This unique way of looking at the year may very slightly depending upon your zone, yet provides you with a basis for gardening and eating.
Experiment with seasonal roasted vegetables. They make an excellent side dish or a quick and easy dinner for anytime of the week.
- Seasonal vegetables, brussel sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, onions, turnips, etc…
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (enough to coat vegetables thoroughly)
- salt and pepper to taste
- Preheat oven to 400 F
- Wash and cut vegetables to desired size (the bigger the size the more time will be needed to cook)
- Toss vegetables with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper.
- Place vegetables on a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Don’t over crowd the vegetables, this will cause them to steam and not roast.
- Roast vegetables until golden brown, about 20 to 40 minutes depending on the vegetable.
