Roasting vegetables can be done on the grill or in the oven. They are a special treat especially this time of year when the vegetables are coming fresh out of your garden! The best roasted vegetables are soft and tender, browned and caramelized and full of flavor. It is easy to roast the vegetables, but there are some tricks to making them come out delicious. These tips are adapted from How to Cook Without a Book by Pam Anderson.
- Preheat the oven. Set the oven anywhere between 350°F to 450°F. The lower temperature will take longer to roast the vegetables.
- Cut the vegetables into even sized pieces. If you have smaller vegetables they can be roasted whole as long as they are similar in size to the other vegetables.
- Toss with oil. Oil will help the vegetables brown so toss them with 1-2 Tablespoons of olive or vegetable oil. It will also help to hold the spices or seasonings that you add.
- Don’t crowd the vegetables. The less the vegetables touch each other the more surface area on them will brown.
- Add a small amount of salt before you roast. Many restaurants add salt at the beginning of the roasting process and also at the end.
- Use the top third of your oven. This will help them to brown the best.
- Shake or turn the vegetables. In order for the vegetables to brown evenly move them around by using a spatula or shaking the pan, after they start turning brown.
- Roast them thoroughly. Your goal is to have the vegetables both brown and tender. If they start to get too dark, cover with foil until they are tender and take the foil off for the final 5 minutes. If they are tender but not as brown as you want move the pan to the upper part of the oven.
- Finish the vegetables. Add a final drizzle of olive oil and a little sprinkle of salt to finish off the vegetables. You could also add fresh pepper, lemon juice, minced herbs (parsley, thyme).
- Serve the vegetables warm. Any vegetables left should be cooled in a single layer so they don’t get soggy.
With these tips you will be offering your family and friends delicious roasted vegetables from home!