Getting the Most When You Roast
June can be considered the start of Maine’s short but bountiful vegetable season. Whether you grow tomatoes on your deck, tend a full garden in your yard, or simply enjoy abundant local produce from the market or a CSA, veggies are a swoonworthy staple of warm weather menus.
While there is so much to enjoy about colorful summer salads and crisp, raw vegetables, I have found that roasted veggies have become my go-to for creating side dishes with unparalleled depth and flavor. Here are two of my favorites.
ROASTED GARLIC AND BALSAMIC TOMATOES
I love to roast tomatoes all year ‘round. Less-than-perfect winter tomatoes are improved by roasting and perfect summer tomatoes are taken to a whole new level of delicious when put under low, slow heat. The caramelized sweetness and bits of char make them irresistible. They make a tasty side dish, are perfect when added to mozzarella for a roasted tomato Caprese salad, and simply di- vine when chopped and used for a quick pasta topping.
INGREDIENTS
• 2 lbs ripe tomatoes (I find Backyard Farms – a Maine company – cocktail tomatoes a perfect size for roasting, but you can use plum, beefsteak, even grape tomatoes)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic minced (I put mine through a garlic press) • 3 teaspoons Balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
• 2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped for garnish
• Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
• Preheat the oven to 300 ̊.
• Combine olive oil, garlic, vinegar, sugar, red pepper flakes (if using) and salt and pepper in a bowl.
• Cut the tomatoes in half and toss tomatoes in the olive oil mix- ture until all are coated.
• Arrange tomatoes, cut side up, on a sheet pan in a single layer.
• Roast tomatoes until they collapse and begin to caramelize and brown around the edges – about 1 1⁄2 to 2 hours.
• Serve at room temperature as a side dish or use in salads, sauces, of for healthy snacking.
ROASTED MUSHROOMS WITH SOY AND BALSAMIC
These roasted mushrooms have a robust, meaty flavor that goes well as an accompaniment to grilled beef and well as a welcome addition to creamy dishes like risotto or fettuccine alfredo.
INGREDIENTS
• 1 lb mushrooms, cleaned and quartered if large, halved if smaller (I like cremini or button)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 2 teaspoons Balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives (for garnish)
• Salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
• Preheat oven to 400 ̊.
• Combine olive oil, garlic, vinegar, and soy sauce and toss mush- rooms until coated. Do not salt prior to cooking, as this will cause mushrooms to quickly release their moisture and get soggy instead of brown with crispy edges.
• Arrange mushrooms on a sheet pan. Do not crowd.
• Roast for 20 minutes. At 10 minutes, take the sheet pan out and drain liquid into a container. (Save this deliciousness in the freezer for use in soups or gravies.) Return to oven for 10 or 15 more minutes until mushrooms are a rich dark brown.
• Salt and pepper to taste then garnish with chopped chives and serve warm.
