Before it snowed

Roasted Root Vegetables Recipe

I took these pictures right before it snowed.

Yes.

Not only a little touch of snow.

But enough to cover hills and gardens and roofs and roads and make us imagine we were in the depth of winter. Enough to damage trees and deprive a lot of households from power. It came quickly. Unexpected.

When we woke up on Sunday night and opened the curtains of our bedroom, Lulu took a peek outside and exclaimed:

Wow, maman, regarde la neige !

Everything outside was painted white: trees, garden, roof of neighboring houses, Lulus bike and sandbox. It felt quiet and peaceful. Without a sound. Without a soul outside beside the ! adventur ous squirrel hopping on to a fallen branch.

As if nothing had happened.

It was beautiful.

But I felt for the farmers, thinking that this was obviously going to affect them in a bad way.

On Friday, I went to the farmers market downtown. I am thankful now that I did. I wish I had bought even more to support the farmers. To tell them how precious what they do is. I will miss them during the winter.

I was so pleased to still find a wide selection of scrumptious-looking root vegetables. They were more colorful and beautiful the ones than the others. I knew that I would rub them simply with garlic and thyme, adding perhaps coriander or cumin. Then, Id roast them, so that my vegetable dish would reveal the taste of each vegetable while offering a patchwork of cheerful colors.

I left the market with my basket filled with radishes of different types, turnips and carrots of various colors, red and yellow and pink baby beets, celeriac and apples, fresh ginger and garlic.

They looked so pretty together in my basket that they made me feel giddy.

I used half of them in a roasted vegetable dish I cooked and served to accompany our lunch with friends on Sunday. And with the apples, I prepared Apple verrinesa recipe from my cookbookwhich was the dessert that sealed our meal.

Apple Verrine Recipe

We laughed a lot. Lulu dressed up like a butterfly. She was beaming. She kept talking about the ladybug girl outfit she was going to wear to school.

We almost forgot about the snow.

But when everyone had left and the kitchen was cleaned, Lulu and I walked to the park and ran in the snow. Despite the sun, the park was almost empty. She was disappointed that she could not use the slide. But instead, we enjoyed looking at the footprints our boots left in the snow.

Aujourdhui, cest un jour particulier, (Today is an exceptional day) I told her as we walked back, holding hands. La neige est arrive tt, (The snow came early) I went on.

Aujourdhui, cest un jour particulier, she repeated while looking down, once again, at the footprints her boots were making in the snow.

Roasted Root Vegetables with Coriander and Lemon Thyme Recipe

(For 4 people)

You need:

• 8 small carrots (purple, white, orange), peeled and cut lengthwise (or quartered depending on size)
• 8 baby beets (red, pink, yellow), peeled and cut in halves (or quartered depending on size)
• 8 radishes, long and round, cut lengthwise
• 4 turnips, quartered
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 inch ginger root, peeled and finely chopped (optional)
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 5 twigs of lemon thyme, finely chopped
• Sea salt and pepper
• Olive oil

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 F. Have a baking dish or a baking sheet covered with parchment paper ready.
• In a large bowl, toss the vegetables with the garlic, coriander, lemon thyme and ginger (if using). Season with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle the vegetables with olive! oil to coatI like to toss them using my hands.
• Transfer the vegetables to the dish or baking sheet and bake for 35 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Serve them to accompany a meat or fish, with a cooked grain like rice, millet or quinoa.

Of course, any carrots, beets or radishes will do.

Le coin franais

Lgumes racines rtis au four et parfums la coriandre et au thym citron

(Pour 4 personnes)

Ingrdients :

• 8 petites carottes (mauves, blanches, oranges), peles et coupes en 2 dans la longueur , ou en 4, selon grosseur
• 8 petites betteraves (rouges, jaunes, roses), peles et coupes en 2 ou en 4 (selon grosseur)
• 8 radis, longs et ronds, coups dans la longueur
• 4 navets, coups en 4
• 3 gousses dal, peles et minces
• 2 cm de racine de gingembre, pel et hach finement (optionnel)
• 1 cc de coriandre en poudre
• 5 brins de thym citron hachs finement
• Sel de mer et poivre
• Huile dolive

Etapes :

• Prchauffez le four 190 C et prparez un plat gratin, ou une plaque de cuisson recouverte de papier sulfuris.
• Dans une jatte, mlangez les lgumes avec lal, la coriandre en poudre et le thyme citron (et du gingembre, si vous en utilisez). Salez et poivrez.
• Arrosez les lgumes dun filet dhuile dolive. Remuez les leegumes avec les mains ou une cuiller en bois et ajoutez assez dhuile pour quils soient tous enrobs.
• Mettez les lgumes dans le plat ou sur la plaque de cuisson, et enfournez pendant environ 35 minutes, ou jusqu ce que les lgumes soient tendres. Servez pour accompagner une viande, un poisson, et une crale comme du riz, du millet ou du quinoa.

Bien sr, tout type de carottes, betteraves et radis feront laffaire.

Share and Enjoy: