Roasted Balsamic Beets & Carrots

Root vegetables are pretty amazing beasts. Well, I think all vegetables are really. It seems pretty incredible to me that I can place a seed in the ground, give it some water and end up with something nutritious, delicious and beautiful. I have been playing around this past year with growing different vegetables in my little raised beds. I have been lucky with some and not so much with others. Living in Southern California, I’ve been able to put my gardening skills to the test year round. This is great because I need the practice! Although I grew up helping my father in his vast garden and my mother with flowers and herbs, this is the first time I have ever taken on the challenge of growing my own food. It’s not always as easy as it looks but it’s well worth the effort!

Late last fall I planted some carrots and I recently harvested them. I don’t know if it’s because I grew them or because we ate them fresh out of the garden, but I must say that they were some of the best carrots I’ve ever eaten. I attempted to grow some beets too, but alas, none came up. I’ll have to work on that. So, instead I purchased some lovely beets at the farmer’s market and paired them with my {gorgeous} carrots in a light tossing of balsamic vinegar. This recipe is crazy simple and can be made with any and all root vegetables, although the sweetness of the carrots and beets are really the best!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh beets, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 4-5 medium beets)
• 2 cups fresh carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2-3 carrots)
• 1 tsp olive oil
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and cut the beets and carrots and place them in a large bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and add the salt, pepper, and thyme. Toss to coat.

Spread the vegetables on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and begin to wrinkle, tossing once halfway through cooking.

Place the vegetables back in the bowl, add the vinegar and toss to coat. Serve immediately.

Servings: 4      Serving Size: ½ cup

Calories: 58                 Fat: 1g             Sat. Fat: .1g     Carbs: 12.5g

Sodium: 377.1mg        Fiber: 3.2g       Sugar: 7g         Protein: 1.7g

This is the craziest thing that came out of my garden. Doesn’t this guy look like a pair of frog’s legs?