Roasted vegetables with bacon
After
September. It’s that month in the year where the summer fades away, the cold weather starts to creep in, and cozy evenings in start to become very enticing. Every year this dish kicks off the autumn for me, most of the vegetables are fairly seasonal, and it’s the kind of dinner that is great to eat in front of the TV with a beer.
For me, the following vegetables work a treat:
- Squash / pumpkin
- Potatoes (especially new)
- Parsnips
- Carrots (whole baby ones are great)
- Onions
- Garlic cloves (leave whole)
- Beetroot
- Leeks (leave them whole, sliced vertically in two)
- Mushrooms (leave them whole)
- Courgettes (cut them chunky, or leave whole if they are small)
- Cooked chestnuts (okay, this is a nut but they work a treat)
And a selection of the following herbs are essential (leave them whole):
- Bay leaves
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Sage
- Par-boil your vegetables for 8-10 mins, they should be slightly tender to a prick of a fork, be careful not to over-boil.
- Add some olive oil to a large roasting dish and pre-heat for 3-4 mins.
- Add the vegetables and herbs to the dish, and drape the bacon over the vegetables. Roast for 45 mins or until everything is a little sticky and crispy. You will need to check on the veg every 15 mins or so and give it all mix around. Most of the fat should render out of the bacon, making it go all nice and crispy while at the same time flavouring the vegetables.
Make sure you season before serving, a little chopped parsley doesn’t go a miss. Adding some balsamic vinegar to the vegetables before roasting is a nice trick to add a little sweet and sour.
Before