Once upon a time,

the only way I liked vegetables was to have them mashed and subsequently loaded with butter and cream, dipped in ranch dressing or ketchup, or deep-fat fried. And I thought that was living. Eventually, I realized what was going on. I was eating junk! I thought there was no hope for me. I would never enjoy real vegetables, or at least the kind that will do your body some real good. But one happy day, some roasted potatoes landed on my plate. And I found hope.

Roasted! Oh, there is such a huge difference between roasted potatoes and baked potatoes, believe me. Roasting, I found, was the ultimate way to enjoy my vegetables. How easy was that? Forget ranch dressing! This is ten times better. This method of cooking allows you to get depth of flavor and a bit of crispness, without adding any crummy stuff, and without adding much work to your meal prep. Truly, it is such a simple process! You can throw them together and work on other things while they're roasting away. Tasty, healthful vegetables are not a mystery to me anymore, and I need to tell the world. Maybe you'll find you love them too! The other day, I found out that I really do like sweet potatoes after all. It felt like a big achievement. It really is fun to like vegetables.

Today I'm going to share the basics of roasting, and I'm using root vegetables as a model recipe, but you can apply these simple steps to all sorts of veggies. Root vegetables are so fitting now, with autumn just around the corner and cold weather creeping in! These seasonal veggies are very comforting and warming. They are all popping up at the farmers markets these days, so be sure to grab your favorites while they're fresh! I'm throwing in a bit of bacon to this bunch of veggies, for some extra flavor and crunch!

Not only is a bowl of roasted veggies easy and delicious, it makes a lovely spotlight on your table. Try it sometime when you are dressing up dinner!