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Saturday, November 24, 2012

roasted root veggies with maple syrup




Roasted Pumpkin with Garlic, Sweet Potatoes and Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients:
1 small sugar pumpkin or other winter squash
2 sweet potatoes
2 red onions
2/3 cup olive oil
5 fresh thyme sprigs
1 garlic head, halved crosswise
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
Directions:
Preheat an oven to 400°F.

Cut the pumpkin into quarters and remove and discard the pulp and seeds. (Alternatively, rinse and roast the seeds separately and use to garnish the dish later.) Cut each pumpkin quarter into 3 wedges. Quarter the sweet potatoes lengthwise. Peel the onions and cut into wedges.

Place the pumpkin, sweet potatoes and onions in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, thyme, garlic, lemon juice, maple syrup, the 1 tsp. salt and the pepper. Toss to mix well and then spread the vegetables out in a large roasting pan or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Roast until all the vegetables are cooked through and golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Add the cherry tomatoes to the roasting pan and toss to coat with the olive oil. Return the pan to the oven and roast until the tomatoes just begin to soften and release their juices, about 15 minutes more. Sprinkle with salt and serve directly from the pan. Serves 4.