I never mean to go overboard in the kitchen, but when my compulsions kick in one thing leads to another and events like “roastarama” ensue. I have a thing about making use of a good hot oven. It may stem from not having a working microwave or it may go way back to some primal cavewoman worship of the discretionary use of fire and heat.

Whatever the cause, I find myself uncomfortable firing up an oven without using much of its interior real estate. This happened most recently when I set about simply roasting a pile of beets, after being inspired by some luscious looking recipes including balsamic roasted beets on Stone Soup.

Ingredients and Method

Balsamic roasted beets

The beets only filled up one baking dish so I figured I might as well roast the remaining beet with the parsnips and sweet potatoes that were kicking around too. Then I looked at the grape tomatoes languishing on the counter and made a pan of them with garlic and onions. And then I remembered the portabella mushrooms that were drifting around in the veggie drawer, having never made an appearance with the all male guest list at my last bbq. All of a sudden my oven was full, the kitchen smelled great and I was set up with days worth of salad and sandwich fixings, pizza and bruschetta toppings, omelet fillings etc.

The beauty of it is that the whole mess of extra veggies (except the mushrooms, see below) followed the same basic protocol: Cut them into largish pieces, spread them on a rimmed baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, scootch them around to distribute then give them a sprinkle of kosher salt. They all went in at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes. When they look and smell amazing, they’re done.

Bring It

 When the roasted bounty is cool load each veggie into its own Tupperware/container. Grab what you need for whatever you are going to prepare off-site: Sandwiches, bruschetta, pizzas, salads, etc. Larger, sturdy chunks of roasted veggies, like sweet potatoes, white potatoes and cauliflower are great with dips like Spicy, Chunky Peanut Dip and Silver Palate Hummus

Other than heating up my kitchen on a hot afternoon (not the best timing) it was an excellent idea and a good way to justify a very lazy aspect of the weekend.

The same principle can go for grillorama when you get the grill going and think, “What a shame to waste all that good heat!” Stay tuned for more on that, especially when zucchini/bell pepper season hits its stride.

I followed this recipe at Stone Soup for the portabellas, and got all my mushroom trivia straight too.

3/4 lb (350g) medium portabello mushrooms, about 7
1 – 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1/2 bunch thyme
approx 60g (2oz) stick butter, diced

1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C).

2.. Trim mushroom stalks and place in a baking dish stem side up. Scatter with garlic, thyme, butter, salt & pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and bake 15 minutes.

3. Remove the foil and bake for another 10 – 15 minutes or until mushrooms are browned and tender.

If you do not have thyme in your garden, plant some! It looks good, requires no care and gets you that most closer to looking like a legit chef.