Welcome back to my blog! I hope everyone has been enjoying the week and that it isn’t too crazy. . . but it’s 2020 and that’s evidently a lot to ask for, haha! If you read my last post about playlist journaling, you may remember my desire to avenge my first recipe post attempt. Well here is the moment you have all been waiting for!! Today, I have a post all about cooking up some yummy fall produce. It’s relatively simple (therefore I remembered all the ingredients and instructions this time)! It’s also super easy to follow which makes it great for beginner cooks like me, but it’s also a go-to for seasoned chefs alike!
First things first, I have a question. Are squash considered fruit? I originally titled this post “How To Roast Delicious Fall Vegetables” but the more I thought about it, it was a misleading title. Considering I used a variety of squash and a sweet potato in this recipe, I decided to relabel this as Roasted Fall Produce. If you like to meal prep or plan ahead, this recipe is perfect because you can roast a whole pan’s worth and then freeze some to use later on in the week! I saved about half in the refrigerator for a meal (and an afternoon snack or two) and then packed up the rest of the fall mixture in a freezer safe bag. Easy as that!
Another perk of this recipe is that you can tailor it to your liking. If I were on a cooking show, I’d probably say something fancy like “you can experiment with the flavor profile.” My college colloquial translation, however, says that you can swap in your choice of seasonal produce and also play around with your favorite spices! This time of year, the “vegetables” really taste great with anything on top of them!!
When I was younger, I often had soccer games on Saturdays in the fall. Sometimes after a game, my family and I would stop at the farmer’s market for some apple cider and a sweet treat every now and then. Flash forward to college me and I still love a good Saturday morning trip to the farmer’s market, especially this time of year! There’s something about the cool air, brightly colored produce, and energy of the individuals at the stands that keeps me going again and again. Seriously, I don’t think I could find someone who is so passionate about beets and kale anywhere else. Could you? This past weekend I went on a fun little excursion to a lovely farmer’s market that is not too far from my campus! Yes, I’m still working on completing my FALL BUCKET LIST. I guess technically I tackled #7 AND #9 with my trip. That’s two birds, one stone, and no big deal. Even with masks and social distancing, the market was a very successful outing. I picked up some apples, sweet potatoes, squashes, and apple cider!! If you are able to get to a market, you certainly will not be shortchanged in amazing veggies and fruits to pick from! Here are some findings from my farmer’s market trip. . .
So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get started!!
First Things First. . .
Wash and dry your produce. Even if you get it from the grocery store it can’t hurt to give it a quick wash before roasting!!Now. . .
It’s time to start cutting up your veggies+. The biggest tip I have is to try to make your chopped pieces roughly the same size.. this will promote even cooking during the roasting process. For motivation, think of every Food Network judge in the history of Food Network pulling out the “uneven knife cuts” criticism. Don’t let it be you!! But also don’t stress too much, the veggies will still be tasty no matter what!🥕For the carrots, I just cut off the ends and then cut the carrots on an angle into smaller pieces.
🍠For the sweet potatoes, I sliced them in half lengthwise and then cubed up each half!
🥒For the delicata squash (the one with the green stripes) and the butternut squash, I sliced them in half lengthwise and used a spoon to scoop out the stringy parts and seeds. Keeping the skin on, I cubed up the fleshy parts. I discarded the seeds but you can definitely save them and roast them up later (like pumpkin seeds) if you want a crunchy snack!! Once everything is chopped up, throw all the pieces into a big bowl and drizzle in enough olive oil to coat them! I intentionally didn’t measure here because it really depends on how much produce you have. Drizzle in the oil in slowly and mix well until everything is slightly shiny. I found that my hands were the best tools to mix it all up! Then, pour the mixture onto a foil lined sheet pan. Spread it evenly into one flat layer across the pan. Now.. season, season, season! I started with a little salt and pepper and added some paprika as well! You can also try some brown sugar for a sweeter taste! But have fun with this step! I think I might try some everything bagel seasoning next time.
. .Next,
pop the pan into a 375 degree F oven and roast for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, take the pan out and mix the veggies up with a spatula. Since my pan was pretty full, I figured this step would help everything cook evenly. Now place the pan back in the oven for another 15 minutes!
Patience is a virtue, my friends! ⏳
Once the timer beeped I took my pan out of the oven and allowed it to cool slightly! After necessarily snacking on a few pieces, I scooped about half of the vegetables into a Tupperware container. These were for the week… afternoon snacks, breakfast hash, side dish for dinner, etc. I placed the remaining mixture in a freezer safe bag to save for a later date! I’ll just take it out and warm it up in a skillet when I’m ready to munch on it! The foil helped to speed up the clean-up process as well. Huge win. 😎
And that’s it! It’s a fool proof way to roast up your favorite fall foods. Simple recipes are often the best ones. Nothing too fancy. Just good food made easy. Win win. 😎😎
Thank you so much for reading my very first (actual) recipe post!! I’ve really started to love cooking and I’m so excited to share my new recipes and adventures with you all. Maybe one day I’ll Beat Bobby Flay or tackle mystery ingredients in a high-pressure round of Chopped. Or not. Maybe I’ll just learn to cook a protein other than chicken. Any option would be fine by me. It’s good to have goals. Have a great weekend everyone and don’t forget to turn off your oven after you cook! Enjoy your fall veget- I mean fruits. 🙂 🍁🥕🍎
~Katherine
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