Veganomicon_ The Ultimate Vegan Cookbook - Isa Chandra Moskowitz [27]
Root Veggies and Tubers
Carrots, beets, turnips, sweet potatoes, parsnips—you name it, bring it on! Your oven can take these rock-hard roots and tubers and transform them into candy-sweet, tender nuggets in lovely shades of orange, magenta, and cream.
Oven temperature: 400°F
Prep: Peel the veggies and slice off their stems. The shapes you cut are pretty much up to you, although ¾ inch across in any direction is a pretty good size to aim for. Drizzle and coat with olive oil, sprinkle with salt. Place on a lightly greased baking sheet. You can also slice into ¼-inch slices for chips, in which case you should reduce the cooking time by 10 minutes.
Roast: 35 to 45 minutes, flipping once about halfway through cooking. The roots should be tender and easily pierced with a fork, the outsides should be browned and even lightly caramelized.
Complements: Rosemary and thyme or sweet spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
Fancy it up: Add a light coating of maple syrup and minced ginger before cooking, for a hint of sweetness.
Tomatoes
Roasting tomatoes brings out all their flavor and sweetness. Save your beautiful vine-ripened type tomatoes for a sandwich or salad, but when you have tomatoes that aren’t as juicy, like plum tomatoes, then roasting is the way to go. An added bonus is that they make your kitchen smell like the most inviting restaurant in Little Italy. Roasted tomatoes in sandwiches, along with a portobello (page 112) would be nice, or use them as the base for sauces and soups.
Oven temperature: 350°F
Prep: Remove the stems. Slice into ½-inch slices. Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet, sprinkle with salt.
Roast: 50 minutes to an hour, until the skin is a bit crinkled
Complements: Oregano, thyme, or really any herb you might find in a Simon and Garfunkel song.
Winter Squash
Although steaming may be more convenient, roasting most winter squashes and pumpkins brings out their sweet flavor as no other cooking method can. You can roast squash whole, in its skin, and serve it in large luscious pieces, or cut it into small caramelized pieces, so we will give you directions for both ways.
For big pieces of whole roasted squash
Oven temperature: 400°F
Prep: Remove the stem. Split the squash in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and use a spoon to scrape out any stringy bits. Place cut side down on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Roast: 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size. The outside peel of the squash should be easily pierced with a fork when it’s done cooking. Slice into more manageable (but still large) pieces to serve. Leave the skins on for a more dramatic presentation; if the skin is not edible, just peel it off while eating.
For smaller, caramelized pieces
Oven temperature: 400°F
Prep: Remove stem. Peel off skin. Split squash in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and use a spoon to crape out stringy bits. Cut into ¾ inch pieces. Drizzle and coat with olive oil and salt. Place on lightly greased baking sheet.
Roast: 25 to 30 minutes, turning twice during cooking. Squash should be tender, browned, and lightly caramelized on the edges.
For both methods
Complements: Rosemary, sage, thyme, or sweet spices such as cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg.
Fancy it up: Before cooking, add a light coating of maple syrup. Sprinkle with crushed coriander seeds and minced ginger.
IF you’re (God forbid) tired of mashed potatoes or just in need of a sweet change, use our whole-roasting method for winter squash and make mashed squash instead. Just remove the skin, and mash or puree with a little maple syrup, salt, and cinnamon.
Zucchini or Summer Squash
“Oy gevalt! I’ve got ferkakte zucchini up to mayn