Roasting Ain't Just for Winter Anymore

Last week I went to the Eagle Rock Farmer's Market (Friday nights between 5-9 p.m.) and discovered that it has a lot to offer. Not only does it offer a decent variety of street food (roasted chicken, tacos, kebabs, roasted corn) and a petting zoo with the cutest little pig I've ever seen in my life, it has an impressive array of vegetables and fruits - both standard and exotic.

I'm not usually impressed by the standard veg, but for some reason, the gigantic carrots being sold at one stand stood out. I hardly ever eat carrots outside of a salad, but seeing these reminded me of a fabulous batch of roasted carrots I made a long time ago for a family dinner. Without any hesitation, I decided to grab a few and get roastin'.

Like the age rings of a tree, so are the innards of our carrots

I had purchased some leeks from another stand, and decided that it would be a nice mix with the carrots. I simply washed and cut the veg and spread them out on a roasting pan. I then hit it with some olive oil, cracked pepper and sea salt then used my hands to make sure each nugget was touched by the oil. Sounds like a twisted version of that religious TV show..."Touched By The Oil."

Carrot and leek oil wrestling match - round one!

I then put the pan in a preheated 500 degree oven for 20 minutes. The result? Caramelized, tender, flavorful vegetables perfect alone or as a side dish - all for about $1.50. Why would anyone boil carrots when roasting creates this beautiful array of loveliness? WHY? WHYYYYYYYY????

Ahem...my point is this: Roast, don't toast. I mean, roast, don't boil. Too bad that doesn't rhyme.