Beta-Carotene.
It’s what’s for dinner.
The last of the carrots
More specifically, carrots, the last of them from the winter garden.
Next year I’ll plant quite a bit more, remembering to divide them, of course. It’s been so much fun.
Mike whipped up a vegetable roast, using the carrots along with new potatoes, parsnips, onions, green peppers and tofu from the market. It’s a nice, vegan/vegetarian dish for cold days. It’s warm and filling and easy to make.
Vegetable Roast
I’m spoiled rotten living with a man who likes to cook. Mom was a great cook, too, but this apple fell far from the tree, rolled down the sidewalk and into the woods. I can produce a meal under duress (and I cook for my boys when he travels) but most of the time I would rather be doing something else.
That said, I love to eat! Do you like to cook?
[Your caption here]
Gardening Nirvana 
LOVE roasted vegetables! Yaaaay, Mike!
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Yeah me, too! Pam, you should write a cooking blog. I’ve eaten some of my best meals at your table.
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This time of year…even more enticing to eat more veggiesāŗ
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So true. All these root vegetables are so filling and hardy. We grew up eating carrots and potatoes, so they feel like comfort food for me, too.
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Yesterday was my day to roast vegetables. Ever since reading An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler, I’ve followed her system of roasting trays of vegetables with olive oil and kosher salt and storing them in glass jars in my fridge. I can do a week’s worth of vegi cooking in one session and the recipe possibilities are endless. Here’s a blog post I wrote about it — your husband might be interested! http://marthabrettschneider.com/2012/09/23/mindful-cooking-part-1-an-everlasting-meal/
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Thanks so much for commenting and for sending me to your post. It sounds so simple when you describe it. My mother actually wrote a cookbook called “Cooking without Mom” after our dad died and she had to go to work full time. She was never able to get it published (and how I wish I had a copy of it) but she tested all the recipes on us girls. She taught me to use a crock pot which I love for making soups. That is the one place where I’m a bit adventurous.
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I like to cook; it’s the dailiness of it that gets a little hard. We enjoy our veggies roasted too and they do seem more comforting fixed that way. One of my on-going goals is to waste less food. We have done pretty well, but it takes a decision to pull out those containers and put a meal together. I just thankful there is food in the fridge!
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That’s a good way to put it, ME…it’s never ending. We also have picky eaters which ads to the blah factor around here.
I”m glad you have food in your fridge as well. Your life seems very hard at times, yet you always have a smile and something nice to say. Good for you.
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I cook every day, and I LOVE to make roasts with veggies! Your roast looks delicious, so I am coming over for dinner! š
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I’ll set an extra plate. š
Good for you for cooking every day. You are my idol.
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My sister and I love to cook. I don’t know how that occurred since mum hates cooking and dad never ever cooked. We must have bought a lot of cookbooks between us over the years!
The carrots look lovely, sadly ours had carrot fly last year.
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Sorry to hear about Carrot fly. I’ve not heard of those before but they sound nasty. Better luck next year.
That is interesting that you and your sister turned into great cooks. You just never know.
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I prepare my own meals 99% of the time Alys. I don’t say ‘cook’ because I eat a lot of fresh, raw foods – especially at this time of the year. I have a favourite roasted veg dish though. I put carrots, parsnips, pumpkin and beetroot [beets] into the oven sprinkled with olive oil and a little cider vinegar, a splash of balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and a touch or two of whatever herbs I have around and there is dinner! Mike’s dish looks rather appetising!
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Good for you! I’m so impressed. I like the idea of adding beets to the next roast. They’re another great winter vegetable.
I’ll pass on the idea of balsamic vinegar. We’re big fans and always have some on hand.
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Yum, yum, Alys! That dish looks heavenly! Oh! A husband who cooks – that’s a huge bonus. Love your description of the apple falling far from the tree – that’s me, too! I get enthused to improve my cooking skills every now and then, but would much rather be out in the garden growing the ingredients! Speaking of which, those carrots look great – what a bumper crop! xoxoxoxoxox
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Yes! You are me. I want to plant, grow and harvest and don’t even mind pulling weeds but the whole cooking thing leaves me cold. Like you, I swear I’m going to look through all the recipes I have and try something new…and then I don’t! Ha.
Hope you’re still enjoying your time away, Dani. xox
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LOL, you make me laugh. I’m sure your straying apple became a treasure of some little squirrel happening by that forest. Your winter harvest looks impressive, nary a mutant in the bunch. Although the mutant ones might lend themselves to a very interesting ‘Dr Seuss’ type veggie dish of extraordinary tastiness š
Do tell, what type of Tofu does Mike add to the roasting veggies? Is it firm or soft? Flavoured or plain? I’m really wondering because I’ve tried a few and they’ve all been the pits. I’d really like to learn though. My dad made really tasty roasted veggies, with quartered green cabbage, turnip, parsnip, onion and carrotsā¦.so yummy but unfortunately (classy people overt your eyes now) they really gave me gasā¦the cabbage I guess, snort!
Your last image made me think of Blossum and Petalsā¦.you’ll see why when you meet them, LOL. xoK
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I think you’re right. Lucky little squirrel.
I like the way you think: Dr. Seuss’ mutant veggie dish. You heard it here first, folks.
We use extra firm, plain tofu in all our dishes. I cube it and put it in raman for Chris. He’ll also eat it plain and raw (me too) though it is an acquired taste. The current brand is nasoya, organic extra firm tofu. We’ve used a few brands. I find the extra firm is much easier to work with.
It sounds like your dad was a good cook, too.
xox
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Thank you for the Tofu tip. I will try it again. BTW, I made roasted vegetables the very next night. Used a small quartered head of Savoy Cabbage, 2 organic carrots, small sweet potato, 1 white potato (.98 !! crazy), sage and dry onion soup mix with 1/2 cup vegetable broth. It was a nice change and delicious, so thank you for inspiring. Jim even liked the cabbage.
Daddy knew his way around the kitchen and actually made most of our meals when we visited. My favourite was having breakfast together. Since I lived at the lake, if I worked late, I’d stay over. He always made breakfast the next morning and a lunch for me to take with. Yep, Dads xox š Lucky us.
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Awww. What a great story about your dad. What a wonderful man, reflected in you every day. Man, he must have been so proud of you.
I like your idea of using dry onion soup mix with broth. I’ll have to try that.
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Thank you for saying such beautiful things about my dad ((( Alys ))). I think he was proud that I managed the end of a marriage and continued to own and maintain my house. I can’t say, “on my own” because everyone supported me. I know he’d be happy for me that I’ve found my way and that I’ve got a wonderful friend in you. Love you my dear, mwaaaa.
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You turned lemons into lemonade after the divorce. You have much to be proud of.
Wish I could have met him. So glad you had him for as long as you did, while at the same time understanding it wasn’t quite enough. xox
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That looks good and you are a lucky lady. There are so many men who love to cook these days. I can cook, that being said, I’d rather not. There is a sign in a box somewhere I would put up if I could find it that says “The only reason I have a kitchen, is because it came with the house.” I like easy food. Open-eat. After 50 years of cooking for family, I’d rather eat out. š Tomorrow when the rain stops it’s on my list of things to do. Hehe.
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I’m with you! Eating out rules. It just always feels like work. I also think it is hard to cook for one. I was single for many years and I mostly couldn’t be bothered.
I hope your rain has stopped and further, hope that it might head down here. Enjoy your meal!
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