roasting winter root vegetables makes a great hearty winter meal or side dish.  use up some veggies you have stored or see if you can find some locally grown winter roots.  i roasted up some turnips, beets, radishes, and some winter butternut squash.  other good veggies to use are: brussel sprouts, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, fennel bulbs, or whole garlic.  the roasting brings out the sweetness in the veggies and makes them perfectly tender.

to roast:

-pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

-cut up veggies so that they are similiar in size, the smaller ones you can leave whole

-toss in a generous amount of olive oil

-put veggies in a roasting pan and roast in the oven for about 30-50 minutes or until tender

-chop up some garlic and herbs and add to veggies.  you can add some salt and pepper at this time too.  put veggies back into oven for about 5 minutes or until veggies are browned.

-serve as a side dish or a main dish with a side of greens.