beets

It seems I'm not alone in saying that pregnancy isn't really a time women are desiring vegetables. Some of them that I absolutely love--asparagus and zucchini--just don't appeal to me right now. There are some that I am loving right now. Still all over salads if someone will make it for me (what's up with having a hard time making it to the kitchen?) and green beans have gone well the last two days. Nevertheless, beets and pickles which I have never enjoyed eating, are even more impossible for me to eat now. How, then, was I able to sit through an NPR story this morning on making vegetables taste good? I guess because it didn't focus on beets the entire time.

I highly recommend listening to the story and trying out the okra in curry recipe that suggests taking advantage of its naturally slimy texture. Also, take a look at the comment recommending eating vegetables at their finest quality in order to learn to appreciate them.

This was a positively amazing salad that really is simple to make, and just as important to serve. Paul's Aunt Marsha is the angel behind this heavenly healthy creation. The greatest accent is that each vegetable is roasted separately but served together, which is good for picky eaters and highlights the great colors of the individual vegetables. Each vegetable is cooked the same way and are combined at the end. Brilliantly, this salad fabulous served hot, warm, or even at room temp, which means it can be made ahead. This was important as the dinner Marsha served was a large buffet for about 15 people. With that much work, a vegetable that can be room temp balances between a cold salad and a hot entree--and that doesn't hog the oven--is perfect. Roasted fresh beets yield a purple dressing that again keeps this dish as natural and simple as possible.

I hope my memory of the recipe is the way Marsha does it by her memory!

Roasted Vegetable Salad

From watching Marsha Bloom

• Select equal portions of fresh sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts, and beets.
• Cut the brussel sprouts in half, peel the potatoes and cut into bite-sized pieces, cut beets as well.
• Place top rack in oven just above center and the second rack a notch or two below for space to get a second pan in and preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Grease jelly roll pans with a light coat of spray. (Marsha had only two pans, and cooked the brussel sprouts first. Again, this is the beauty of a vegetable for a large group that doesn't have to be served hot.)
• Spread each vegetable individually and evenly over pan.
• Sprinkle olive oil semi-generously (although excess will not hurt) over the vegetable.
• Sprinkle fresh ground black pepper and salt evenly over vegetables.
• Top with three cloves each pan of chopped fresh garlic.
• Chop fresh rosemary (about 3 long sprigs per pan) and sprinkle around pan.
• Place pans in oven until bottom of vegetables are golden brown. The time varies depending on the veggie.
• Serve divided, but in the same bowl.

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