Summer Farmers Market Vegetable Roast from Guest Blogger Heide Boyden
Blistered peas, blistered carrots, blistered tomatoes. Having recently traveled to Chicago, and before that Los Angeles, I spotted the word “blistered” on a number of restaurant menus. Upon investigation, I determined that blistered was just a “hot” new word for roasted. 
When I returned to Montana, the Farmers Market was in full swing and it inspired me to “blister” up some of the lovely, local vegetables and make a Summer Farmers Market Vegetable Roast.
Well, to be honest, I was inspired by both the Farmers Market, full of plenty, and the artistry and inventiveness of Janice! I am so honored to have the opportunity to share one of my simple recipes with Janice’s audience. Janice inspires me to cook more often, to cook healthier and nourishing food, and to source local and vibrant ingredients.
A Rainbow Feast
I must admit that a Saturday morning jaunt to the Bozeman 
Farmers Market, proves true the old adage that my eyes are bigger than my stomach. How can I pass up the allure of bright orange carrots and beets that practically glow like rubies? The colors and vibrancy appeal to each and every one of my senses, resulting in my leaving the market with shopping bags bursting with radiant, fresh, and enticing fare. Once home, there’s a flurry of joyous activity in the kitchen.
I hope you enjoy this easy, recipe—a rainbow feast for the eye and burst of flavor for the tongue. I also hope you will be adventurous and let this roasting technique carry you through all the seasons’ bounty and not just on those occasional “blistery” hot summer days.
Heide Boyden
Heide Boyden (www.heideboyden.com) began her writing career as a copywriter, and then owned a film production company penning everything from ad copy to short form 
documentaries in Southern California. Her picture book, The Jelly Boat Book, was published in 2001 (All About Kids Publishing). She has had several articles, essays, and poems published for both the children’s and adult markets. Since moving to Montana, as an empty nester, she’s been writing a memoir, enjoying the pleasure of cooking and not the “chore” of putting food on the table, and happily blogging: The Writer, Wonderer, Wanderer. Assisting Janice with her incredible Everyday Healthy! Everyday Delicious! Cooking Classes has been an extra special pleasure.
Summer Farmers Market Vegetable Roast
Serves 4 as a side, 2 as a main course Printer-Friendly Recipe
(Total prep and cooking time about 1 hour)
Ingredients
- 8 small carrots
- 8 small beets
- 8 ounces sugar snap peas
- 1 small bunch of radishes, 8-10
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 teaspoon sea salt, divided
- Freshly ground pepper
- Optional: lemon juice, lemon infused olive oil or chopped fresh dill
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper if, like me, you have a new pan and don’t want to get it dirty. If you
have a nicely seasoned pan, then don’t line it. But do heat it in the oven before adding the vegetables. - Start with the carrots and the beets. Scrub them, trim the long root and hairs, and cut off the greens leaving about a ½-inch for aesthetic reasons. Split the carrots lengthwise and the beets in half lengthwise or quarters depending on how big they are. You want the vegetables to roast evenly in the same amount of time.
- Place the beets and carrots in a bowl and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, ½ teaspoon salt and 12 grinds of pepper. Toss together, then lay out on the lined or preheated unlined
baking sheet. Roast for 15- 20 minutes until when pierced with the tip of a knife there is some give, but the carrots and beets are still crisp in the middle. - Meanwhile, wash the sugar snap peas and radishes. Make sure to pay attention to the area by the stems of the radishes as that’s where sand likes to collect. Trim the roots and greens off the radishes, leaving a ½-inch of stem. Split the radishes lengthwise. Pull the strings from the snap peas. Then cut them on a diagonal into ½-inch pieces (in half or thirds depending on the size of the pod).
- In the same bowl that was used for the carrots and beets, add the prepared snap peas and radishes. Add 1
tablespoon of olive oil, ¼ teaspoon of salt, 8 grinds of pepper, all the minced thyme, and all the minced garlic. Toss to coat evenly. - Carefully remove the half-roasted carrots and beets from the oven and top with the snap peas and radishes. Give the pan a little shake to distribute the vegetables evenly. Return to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes
. About half way through, shake the roasting pan once again. This allows the “blistered” side of the vegetables to release. - When the vegetables are done, turn them out onto a platter. Per your palate, squeeze fresh lemon juice on top or drizzle with lemon infused olive oil, or top them with fresh chopped dill. But none of these options are at all necessary.
- If you have leftovers, use them as a salad topper for lunch the next day. They add depth of flavor to greens.