Farm to Table Roasted Vegetables

When winter is dragging me down I have to remember that even though I can't have a juicy, sweet, bright red tomato, winter has its own gifts from the ground and I need to work with that. I'm going to share a really easy recipe with you that you likely already make, but the story behind it is really the best part.

The company I work for (Steelcase) brings in different internal and external speakers for an ongoing series we have called Curious Minds. Last summer, they held a Curious Minds event to launch a new mobile farmer's market that would be visiting us each week, called the Veggie Van. The Veggie Van is part of our Grand Rapids YMCA community outreach efforts, and the purpose is that they bring fresh fruits and vegetables to urban areas where they might otherwise not have access while supporting local farmers by selling their produce. To help keep this program sustainable from a cost standpoint, they visit locations like my workplace, hoping we will spend more than the people in the urban areas. Not only does the Veggie Van have local produce, but they come up with their own fancy recipes (in the fall my favorite was butternut squash risotto) and they also sell things like local raw honey, maple syrup, and cheddar cheese.

I look forward to shopping there each Thursday afternoon! Lately I've been buying root vegetables to roast. It's really easy and delicious! I use beets, carrots, potatoes, and onion that I buy fresh from the Veggie Van.

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper. Wash, peel, and/or cut everything into bite size-ish chunks and place in a large bowl. Cover your veggies with olive oil (a tablespoon or two) and some spices - I use lemon pepper, garlic, and sea salt and stir to coat evenly. Spread your veggies onto the parchment paper like so...

And bake for about 25 minutes - take it out to turn over/spread around and bake about 20 more minutes. My oven is a little iffy, so keep an eye on it! When they look good and roasted, remove and enjoy! They go well with anything - we had them as a side with crab cakes this weekend. I know I've been trying to eat vegan, but the crab cakes were so good!!

Do you have any good wintry produce recipes? Next I need to experiment with squash, cabbage, and cauliflower and spice up my repertoire!

Eating My Vegetables: Kale

Ugh, I can't believe I let myself go without updating for a whole week! I think I've definitely felt uninspired because I have the winter blues, and it snows like everyday and our heating bill keeps going up and up! I just want the sun and a temperature above 30 degrees! I tried not to let it all get to me, but it's getting to me. End rant! Send your warm vibes my way: )

So, I recently decided that I want to try and incorporate some new vegetables into my diet, because there are so many that I still haven't tried! My first choice was one I've had a few times before, but never actually purchased and cooked with myself - kale! Kale seems to be everywhere right now, so I figured it's about time I jump on the bandwagon. I bought a big ole bunch for $1.49 and just figured I'd make kale chips because I've tried those before. I ended up not making kale chips, but found another recipe with an Indian influence. The primary ingredients were chickpeas and kale, and I thought it turned out great! I almost always fail when I try and make Indian dishes, so I was really excited that this one worked out - and better yet, was completely vegan! Here's a link to the recipe, from Fat Free Vegan Kitchen.

{Photo from Mixed Greens Blog}

I had some kale left over, so I added it to the salad I brought to work the other day. I thought it complemented my spinach well, and tasted a bit like broccoli...? Anyone else experience that? Anyway, I'm glad I experimented with it and definitely think I'll be buying kale again.

What are your favorite kale recipes? And what other lesser used vegetables should I try next?!