Death Vegetables, A Winter Recipe

Following up the last post about the virtues of root vegetables, here's one version of a common root recipe, suitable for the fall and winter seasons. I call this particular variety "Death Vegetables," because the herbs it contains were once used both to prevent contagious disease and to preserve bodies. A bit morbid, I admit, but it does highlight the antimicrobial function of these herbs along with the nutrition of roots!

Ingredients:

-a mix of root vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, turnips, celeraic, parsnips, garlic, onion, and fennel bulb, cut into bite-sized pieces (I always put whole cloves of garlic, and at least one sweeter root like carrots or parsnips to balance the bitter ones. Also, beets should be cut into slightly smaller pieces while sweet potatoes should be in larger chunks.) 

-fresh or dried parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme (as in the Simon and Garfunkel song)

-salt and pepper 

-a high-heat oil such as safflower (Olive oil may smoke at the high baking temperature of this recipe, which makes it less healthy and stinks up the house.)

-raw walnuts (optional for a protein a flavor boost)

Cooking: 

Preheat oven to 400-500 degrees- higher temps will produce a crispy result, while lower temps are sweet and softer. Toss all ingredients except walnuts together so the vegetables are well-coated, and place in a baking pan so that the vegetables are not piled too deeply, maybe no more than a couple of inches. Place pan on the top rack of the oven and bake for about 45 minutes or until tender. Mix and turn the vegetables occasionally with a metal spatula to ensure even cooking. If they're getting too crisp, cover with foil, place on the bottom rack, and turn the temperature down a bit. Remove from oven, and the walnuts, and mix again.

Cool and enjoy!