Roasting

One thing I like about winter is being able to use the oven, guilt free. See, in the summer I hate to heat it up, knowing I'm compensating with the A/C - what an energy waster! But, in the winter I know the oven is doing double duty. Warming the house while nourishing my body. Plus, it makes it bearable to be in the kitchen doing other chores (like washing dishes) while it's on. I'm toasty and I know something so yummy is going to come out of there by the time I'm done cleaning!

So, almost every week night when I get home and it's dark and cold, I hit "pre-heat" and prepare to be warmed.

Those little fingerling potatoes totally rock! I give them a little scrub in the sink and roast them. Once in a while, when I'm feeling sassy, I'll roll them around in a bowl of evoo and herbs like thyme or rosemary.
Yams are my favorite roasted, baked is ok too, but I'll never fix them smashed up or covered in marshmallows again. This way is just too perfect. They can be savory with some butter and salt or sweet with a little maple syrup to dunk them in...many other options, I'm sure.
Squash! You know I love squash...I eat them plain with no toppings or with evoo, or butter and salt or maple syrup or brown sugar caramelized on top. You don't have to do anything fancy to a squash, they speak for themselves ;)
I had a special guest at my house courtesy of D2D last week. Celery Root! I scoured recipe books and websites trying to figure out what to do with this baby. There were salads and soups and roasting recipes. I roasted mine, first. That didn't really make me love it so I put it in soup...and we had a winner! It added the perfect subtle taste to my veggie broth.

Will I get another one? Maybe some day...in the far off future. It was kind of a pain to peel and cut up, but if I ever get a hankering for celery root soup you know I'll dig one up.

So, what kind of things have you been roasting? Spring is here, but I'm sure next winter will bring many roasting opportunities!