Roasted winter vegetables cheer right up with citrus cha cha.

This recipe is a shout-out to my Auntie Tina, who lives high on a hill in Marin County, surrounded by her beautiful garden. When I think of her, I think of sunshine and a warm smile. That’s what this dish does for me on a gray winter day, or, as is now the case, a gray spring day. The fact that I used clementines for this (her full name is Clementina) makes the dedication feel all the more appropriate.

Citrus is a sign of hope and cheer. Roasted citrus is not for everyone. You love it or you don’t, and you know who you are. I love it (chicken or broccoli roasted with Meyer lemons? Yeah baby!) After being served  this amazing roasted chicken with clementines, originally from the Jerusalem cookbook,  I took a brief tour of the interwebs and found a salad featuring a similar combo.

Molly Stevens’ creation has inspired many subtle riffs and tweaks. My favorites include: adding pomegranate arils before serving; swapping navel oranges for Satsuma or blood oranges; adding fresh, peeled rounds of said oranges after roasting; and adding some zap with a splash of a sherry vinegar before serving. Do what you like, and enjoy this bit of roasted sunshine. Serve it with love and a smile, just like Auntie Tina would.

The pre-roasted look

Citrus Roasted Fennel and Red Onion

Serves 4

• 1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs (about 1 pound untrimmed)
• 1 medium red onion
• 3 clementines (or 1 large navel orange), scrubbed.
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 degrees F (375 degrees convection). Line a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (this prevents the oranges from sticking to the pan).
2. Trim the fronds from the fennel. Stand a bulb on its base on the cutting board and cut it in half lengthwise, cutting from the core end to the stem end. (If the bulb is more oblong than round, as some are, you will create two halves that are thinner and flatter rather than thicker and bulbous.) Use a paring knife to remove most of the core from each half (no need to get it all out). Lay each half flat on the cutting surface and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick crescent-shaped slices. Toss onto the baking sheet and repeat with the second fennel bulb if you have two.
3. Cut the onion in half, cutting from root to stem end. Peel and remove the root end from both halves. Slice the onion halves crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick half-moons and add to the fennel.
4. Next, slice 2 clementines into ¼ inch rounds. (If using large orange, first cut off the ends and use them for juicing at the end of the recipe.)
5. Add sliced clementines to the fennel and onion. Drizzle the olive oil on top and season well with salt and plenty of pepper. Toss to coat and arrange in an even(ish) layer on the baking sheet.
6. Roast, stirring with a spatula after 15 minutes to ensure even cooking and again every 10 minutes or so. The vegetables close to the edge of the pan will brown more quickly than those in the center, so stirring and then shaking the pan to restore an even layer helps everything cook at the same rate. Continue roasting until the vegetables and orange are tender and the outer edges are beginning to caramelize, 25 to 45 minutes.
7. Transfer to a serving dish, ideally a wide, shallow bowl. Let cool for at least 15 minutes or to room temperature. Cut remaining clementine in half. Squeeze the juice of one half over the salad and taste. If it tastes a little flat, add a pinch of salt and squeeze the other half clementine over it. *Drizzle with a little of your best olive oil and serve warm or at room temperature.

* if you want to fancy it up with a vinaigrette, squeeze the orange ends or halved clementine for 1 Tbsp juice. Whisk with 1 tsp sherry vinegar and a pinch of sea salt. Slowly whisk in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Drizzle away!