Vegetables That Roast in 20 Minutes or Less

Either lightly oil a sheet pan or cover with a piece of parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

CORN

Slice the kernels off the cobs with a sharp knife.Put them in a bowl and toss with olive oil and a bit of sea salt. Put on a sheet pan in a single layer and roast for 20 minutes or until the starts to brown.

Quick tip: You can also leave the husks in the corn, put the whole corn into the oven, and roast for 30 minutes. Now just pull off the husks and silk and serve. Done! How easy is that?

Seasoning Suggestions: After roasting, toss with a pat of butter and freshly chopped soft fragrant herbs like parsley, dill, chives, or basil. For a south-of-the-border dish, toss with chili powder, a squeeze of lime, and Parmesan cheese.

ASPARAGUS

Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus. Toss with olive oil and salt. Put on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 10-15 minutes.

Seasoning Suggestion: Before roasting, toss with chopped garlic, Parmesan cheese, or chopped fresh thyme. Or, after roasting, give them a squeeze of lemon or lime, or a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, or Dijon vinaigrette, and a sprinkle of chopped fresh herbs.

KALE

Believe it or not, kale is fantastic when you roast it! Take 1 bunch of kale and cut off the thick stems; drizzle it with olive oil, a sprinkling of salt, and perhaps some minced garlic. Rub the oil into the leaves so they are well covered. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast, flipping the leaves and turning the sheets until the kale is crispy; it will take about 15 minutes. Squeeze on plenty of lemon juice and taste for salt and pepper.

ZUCCHINI or SUMMER SQUASH

Halve and cut zucchini or squash into wedges. Toss the pieces with salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Roast for 15-20 minutes, flipping them halfway through.

Serving Suggestions: Before roasting, toss with Parmesan cheese, freshly chopped herbs or grated lemon zest, and chopped garlic or shallots. Or, after roasting, squeeze on a little lemon juice or drizzle with balsamic vinegar or some Dijon vinaigrette.

DIJON VINAIGRETTE for roasted vegetables

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 Tbsp. honey

1 1/2 cups olive oil

Salt, pepper, and sugar to taste (Note: I do not add sugar!)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, garlic, shallot and honey. Slowly whisk the olive oil to emulsify. Season to taste.

Makes 2 1/2 cups

from The Family Dinner by Laurie David, p. 110-1