Roasted Vegetables

1. Smashed Garlic – This method of smashing opening garlic releases garlic flavour into the vegetables as they roast but keeps the garlic whole so a) it won’t burn like minced garlic does; and b) you get to squeeze out the slow roasted garlic and eat it – it’s so good!!

2. Herbs – I’ve used Sage and thyme here which are two herbs that do well to impart subtle flavour when roasted. Being a hardier herb, rosemary would also work well here. More delicate herbs like oregano, chives, marjoram, basil etc, can’t withstand oven cooking. Instead, sprinkle over the vegetables once roasted.Dried herbs option – Dried herbs will work just fine too, but they won’t add flavour in the same way fresh herbs do. To use dried herbs, just add when tossing with salt and pepper.

3. Other vegetables – Of course, other vegetables work! But I do recommend roasting starchy / root / hard veg (potatoes, carrot, parsnip) separately from high moisture / soft vegetables (eggplant, zucchini, capsicum / bell peppers) because they call for different roasting times. Also, nobody wants juice accidentally bursting out from eggplant making their potatoes wet!

Add hard veg at the beginning, softer veg later. Here are some guides.

Other hard veg (same roasting time per recipe, cut into similar sizes)

Sweet potato Turnip Swedes

Soft Veg – Roasting time required at temp in recipe (don’t crowd the pan else they just sweat instead of browning)

Capsicum / bell peppers – 2.5cm / 1″ squares, 20 minutes Mushrooms (large) – halved, 40 minutes Pumpkin, squash – 4cm / 1.5″ cubes, 30 minutes Zucchini – 4cm / 1.5″ chunks, 25 minutes Eggplant – See this recipe for best method Jerusalem artichokes – halved, 40 minutes Fennel – 2cm / 1″ slices, 45 minutes