Embrace the cooler weather—fall is here! It's the perfect time to fire up the oven and enjoy delicious warm meals again! Most importantly, the best summer crops are at our Harvest Home Farmers’ Markets. Don't worry about choosing which veggies to eat; try a bit of everything. Pan-roast all your favorites into one big, easy dish, a rainbow of taste and nutrition. Roasting brings out the flavor and the juices and keeps more nutrition. Mixing different colors of veggies makes a really nutritious, family-pleasing meal!
Pan Roasting in the oven: The more color, the more nutrition. Chop up your favorite veggies, add a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper, and your favorite seasonings. 30-40 minutes of no-fuss cooking gives you a feast!
Preheat your oven to 425°. Chop veggies into 2” pieces.
Place on a baking sheet. (For easier clean-up, cover the baking sheet with tin foil)
Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the veggies, just enough to LIGHTLY coat them. Add salt and pepper. Mix with your hands. Add any other of your seasonings. Spread veggies into a single layer.
Bake in the oven for 20-40 minutes depending on what veggies you use. Toss with a spatula every 10-15 minutes until veggies are cooked the way you want.
Check the timing on the veggies you are cooking; you should start pan-roasting with the harder ones and add the softer ones later. Hard veggies like sweet potatoes, parsnips, beets, and carrots need more time to cook; softer veggies like squash, tomatoes, onions, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and mushrooms need less. (See tips below for veggie timing) You can even roast chicken thighs at the same time (see recipe below).
Enjoy an easy, delicious, family-pleasing meal with a rainbow of taste without a lot of fuss!
From Farm to Oven
Recipe: roast CHICKEN & VEGGIES
INGREDIENTS
1 lb. boneless, skinless thighs or 1½–2 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs
6-8 medium whole carrots, cut into sticks
2 large handfuls of green beans, washed and trimmed
2 yellow summer squash or zucchini cut in 1” slices
1 large sweet potatoes cut in strips (or baby red potatoes, halved or quartered)
1 medium red onion, cut into wedges
3–4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (1 Tablespoon of fresh)
¾ teaspoon thyme (2 teaspoon fresh)
1 Tablespoon oil (Olive oil is best)
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
or use the seasoning you like
TO MAKE: Preheat oven to 425ºF. Line a large rimmed, baking sheet with tin foil
Toss chopped vegetables and herbs with oil right on the baking sheet.
Place chicken thighs on top of the vegetables.
Season all with salt and pepper.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender. Toss and turn vegetables once or twice during cooking.
NOTE: Chicken cooks easily over any veggie combo.
Reheat any leftovers in the oven at 350° for about 6 minutes. Heating in the microwave can make the veggies soggy rather than crisp
TIPS AND TRICKS
COOKING TIME FOR PAN-ROASTED VEGGIES:
Hard: Root veggies like sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, rutabagas; 30-45 minutes
Firm: broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, onion; 15-25
Soft: zucchini, summer squash, bell peppers, green beans;10-20
Test for tenderness with fork; look for crispy outside. If not crispy, add 5 minutes to cooking time
FAST & HEALTHY: Almost all veggies are low in calories. Different veggies give you different health benefits.
Eye Health: Carrots, Squash, especially tomatoes
Heart Health: carrots, sweet potatoes
Supports Blood sugar control: Zucchini, squash, tomatoes
Build your immune system: Broccoli, carrots
TRICKS:
If you are mixing potatoes with softer veggies like broccoli or squash, cook the chunks of potatoes for 10 minutes before adding with the other veggies to the pan.
Add a bit of hot pepper or red pepper flakes for a spicier dish
For a stronger herbal taste, add seasoning the last 10 minutes
COMBO SUGGESTIONS: Combos are endless.
Try your own. Cut veggies in 1 to 2 inch chunks or slices. Use just a
bit of olive oil with seasonings you want. Suggestions:
Sweet potato, broccoli, red pepper, zucchini, yellow squash with 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning & ¼ cup of parmesan cheese. Add cheese the last 5 minutes.
Zucchini, summer squash, green beans, bell peppers, broccoli. cherry tomatoes with curry
Cauliflower, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, carrots
