Holiday Season Healthy-Eating Tip: Go To The Farmers' Market
I try to visit one of New York City's green markets once a week to buy milk, eggs, meat, and whatever produce happens to be in season. And while I'm always a little sad to see summer's berries, tomatoes, and tender lettuces disappear, I'm excited by the appearance of fall's hardy greens and root vegetables. While some critics of locavorism argue that it can't be proven that fresh, seasonal food is healthier than the shipped-around-the-world stuff, nobody can tell me it doesn't almost always taste better. And vibrantly-flavored foods require very little adornment: No need to overload them with tons of cheese, butter, or sugar.
As I related in our Holiday Healthy-Eating Guide, one of my favorite things to make for Thanksgiving potlucks is a big batch of roasted root vegetables. I buy whatever squashes and roots look good at the market, chop them into chunks, toss with a little olive oil, course sea salt, and minced herbs, spread them out in a roasting pan, and bake at 400 degrees until tender (about an hour and a half). A search for roasted vegetable recipes on Epicurious yields many variations on this basic concept, so you can tweak it to fit yourfarmers' market finds. See our Farm to Table Cooking guide for more ideas.
Roasted Autumn Vegetables
Bon Appétit | November 2004
Yield: Makes 10 servings
Ingredients
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, cut into 3x1/2-inch wedges
1 1/2 pounds rutabagas, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
1 1/4 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), cut into 2x3/4-inch wedges
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Combine squash, rutabagas, and sweet potatoes in large bowl. Add oil and cayenne and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Spread vegetable mixture on prepared baking sheet. Roast until vegetables are tender, stirring and turning occasionally, about 1 hour. (Vegetables can be prepared 4 hours ahead. Let stand on baking sheet at room temperature. Rewarm in 350°F oven until heated through, about 15 minutes.)
Transfer vegetable mixture to bowl. Add red onion, chives, and vinegar; toss to blend. Season with salt and pepper.
By Megan O. Steintrager
Photo: Mark Thomas
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