Roasted and Marinated Root Vegetables

Prep:

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 2

Depending on the size and type of the root, peel it or not. Peel the dirty, gnarly beets. Sweet potato skins soften up when roasting, so leave those on. For thinner-skinned turnips, a good scrubbing will do.

Step 3

Cut the roots into chunks; I like them about 1 inch thick and 2 inches long. Cut the round roots through the equator and chunk them up from there. For sweet potatoes, cut them in half lengthwise, then again lengthwise, and then into 2-inch pieces. If you can find baby sweet potatoes, just cut those in half. There’s no wrong way to do this; just keep all of your vegetables similar in size and shape so they cook evenly.

Roast:

Step 4

Preheat an ovenproof sauté pan large enough to hold the root vegetables in one layer over medium-high heat. Add the rice bran, grapeseed, or olive oil and continue heating until the oil shimmers and is thinking about smoking. Carefully add the roots and let them caramelize on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Check to make sure they’re not burning—lower the heat if they’re scorching in some spots. Give the roots a toss in the pan (tongs work, too) and season with the salt, sugar, and pepper. Add the thyme and rosemary and transfer the pan to the oven.

Step 5

Cook until the vegetables are lightly browned and tender. Start checking with the tip of a sharp knife after 6 minutes and continue to check every 5 minutes. They’re done when they’re easily pierced all the way through. The beets will cook in about 30 minutes, the turnips in just 10 minutes or less, and the sweet potatoes in 20 minutes. This will depend on the age, variety, and cut of the vegetable, so use your senses (including common sense) and check often.

Marinate:

Step 6

Spoon the roasted vegetables into a large bowl. Discard the herb stems. Add the orange juice or vinegar, extra-virgin olive oil, and chile flakes. Toss until well coated.

Serve:

Step 7

You can serve at this point, or store in the fridge for up to 5 days.