The flavors and textures of six different root vegetables, tossed with olive oil and spices and roasted for 45 minutes, become sublime. The drizzle of balsamic vinegar and agave adds a sweet and sour grace note. Serve as a side dish or with a cooked grain, such as quinoa, for a main dish. Agave syrup, tapped from the same plant used to make tequila, is available in many area markets. It’s an all-purpose sweetener used in cooking and baking. Substitute honey or maple syrup if you can’t find it. (Bev – or just don’t use any sweetener at all. The veggies are sweet)
Ingredients
Spices
- 1 tablespoon fennel seed
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon whole dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
Vegetables
- 1 large parsnip
- 1 large carrot
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 1 medium rutabaga
- 1 medium turnip
- 4 large shallots
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- (Bev – I also used beets, but they cook more slowly, so cut into smaller pieces)
Drizzle
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon agave syrup
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
Preparation
Toast the fennel seed in a small heavy skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the remaining spices and transfer to a mortar with a pestle. Grind to a fine powder. You can also do this in a spice mill or blender.
Adjust an oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Peel the parsnip, carrot, sweet potato, rutabaga and turnip with a swivel-bladed vegetable peeler and cut into chunks about 1 to 1 1/2 inches. Peel and trim the shallots and cut them in half. Put the vegetables on a large-rimmed baking sheet (17 by 11 inches) and sprinkle on the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the spices (reserve remaining spices to use again). Toss well to coat, and spread the vegetables out in a single layer.
Bake 45 minutes, until vegetables are tender. If you like your vegetables darker, set the oven to broil – watch constantly – and cook just until the vegetables are flecked with brown, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar and agave syrup. Sprinkle the garlic and parsley on top, and turn the vegetables gently with a large metal spatula to coat evenly. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
• Makes 6 to 8 servings.