I grow all sorts of herbs in and around my Rhino greenhouse, and even as the garden begins to slow down, there's usually a little rosemary, thyme or sage to gather for the kitchen. I love using them with winter roots, which become wonderfully sweet and full of flavour when roasted slowly in a hot oven. These vegetables make a lovely warm salad in their own right, particularly with some fresh goat's cheese and a scattering of dressed rocket leaves. They're also delicious with good hummus and cumin-spiced flatbreads, or served alongside roast lamb, beef, chicken or grilled fish.
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion squash or butternut squash, about 750g
- 3 to 4 small beetroot, roughly golf ball size
- 1/2 medium celeriac
- 1 fennel bulb
- 2 medium red onions
- 1 whole bulb of garlic, cloves separated but left unpeeled
- A generous handful of sage leaves
- 4 to 5 rosemary sprigs
- 4 to 5 thyme sprigs
- A small handful of fennel tops, if available
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 190°C fan.
Scoop the seeds from the squash and cut it into wedges, about 2 to 3cm thick at their widest point. There's no need to peel it if the skin is tender enough to eat. Arrange the wedges in a large roasting tray.
Scrub the beetroot and halve or quarter them, depending on their size. Peel the celeriac and cut it into pieces about 3cm across. Trim the fennel bulb, reserving any feathery green tops, then cut it into 6 to 8 wedges, keeping a little of the root attached so the pieces hold together. Peel the onions and cut them into wedges from root to tip.
Add the beetroot, celeriac, fennel and onions to the tray with the squash, along with the unpeeled garlic cloves, sage, rosemary, thyme and fennel seeds. Season generously with salt and pepper, trickle over the olive oil and turn everything together until the vegetables are well coated. Spread them out in an even layer, using two trays if necessary to avoid overcrowding.
Place the tray in the oven and roast for 30 minutes, then gently turn the vegetables with a spatula. Return to the oven for a further 20 to 30 minutes, or until the roots are tender and beginning to caramelise around their edges. The beetroot and celeriac should yield easily to the point of a sharp knife.
Remove the tray from the oven and leave the vegetables to settle for 5 to 10 minutes. Scatter over the reserved fennel tops, if using, and serve while still warm.