VEGGIES DONE RIGHT

 

 

You can cook ‘em, steam ‘em, saute ‘em, bake ‘em and grill ‘em but, until you have roasted veggies, you are missing out.

Roasting vegetables mellows the flavor. The dry heat of the oven caramelizes the natural sugars in vegetables which brings out an amazing depth of flavor. There are hardly any veggies that don’t benefit from this manner of cooking. Surprisingly, even salad greens like romaine can be roasted and transformed into more complex and intensely-flavored versions of their fresh selves.

The best part is that it is so simple and hands-off. All you really need is a good coating of oil and a little salt and pepper. Unlike boiling, which sometimes will leach nutrients from foods, roasted veggies will retain their heart-healthy fiber as well as their vitamins and minerals for fighting disease.

Done right, they will be crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Fall and winter is the perfect time to engage in this method. Whether raising the vegetables yourself or buying, the season’s end is abundant with different varieties of root veggies among others. It is also cooler so running the oven may actually feel good.

 

HOW TO ROAST. All root vegetables lend themselves well to roasting and many others do too. Which ones to include is all a matter of personal taste. However, depending on their density, they have different roasting times. So, either choose ones with like times so they finish together or put the ones with the longer roasting times in first and add others later.

Be sure to cut them in uniform sizes so they roast evenly. Coat the pieces in oil and lay in a single layer on a baking sheet. For easier cleanup, you may want to use parchment paper. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast at a temperature anywhere between 400*F and 500*F. Temperatures any lower than that will only bake them and they will not be caramelized.

 

BEST OILS TO USE. There are different oils and fats that can be used. The important thing is to choose a high heat oil with a high smoke point, which is the time when an oil will start to smoke. When this happens, veggies will start to burn and the oil will turn rancid which effects not only the flavor, but also the health benefits.

 

*Avocado oil has the highest smoke point of the oils at 520*F. It is also the most neutral of all oils since it has no flavor of its own, making it an excellent choice to pair with any food and all flavorings.

*Coconut oil has a smoke point of 450*F., which is probably the maximum temperature that any recipe will call for when roasting. It adds a mildly sweet flavor and is a little trickier to work with since it is a solid below 78*F.

*Ghee has a smoke point of 482*F and is made by clarifying butter which removes the proteins but leaves the nutrients. It has a heady, butter-type flavor which is earthier and more pungent.

*Olive oil. This is probably the most popular choice with a smoke point anywhere between 375*F and 405*F. It has a high resistance to oxidative damage which means its fats don’t turn rancid, even at high temperatures. Olive oil usually works good at 400*F. Its flavor is not as neutral as avocado, but you can use this to your advantage to make veggies shine.

When choosing oils for roasting, the two main considerations are flavor and smoke points.

 

ROASTING TIMES. Again, these are general guidelines, it all depends if you like yours just fork tender or a little more done. A little experimentation will yield roasting times that are good for you.

*Thin and soft vegetables like yellow squash, zucchini, peppers, beans, asparagus and tomatoes only take between 10 and 20 minutes.

*Greens like kale, collard and mustard greens are done within 6 to 10 minutes.

*Onions are between 30 and 45 minutes.

*Mushrooms take between 20 and 40 minutes.

*Winter squash and root vegetables like carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips and beets are anywhere between 30 and 60 minutes.

 

SPICES. Don’t be afraid to experiment. There are so many herbs and spices, each lending its own flavor to the veggies. Start with the basics of salt and pepper then try your favorite flavorings. Just be careful and not try too many different ones at the same time or you won’t know which combinations you prefer. One of my favorite combos is rosemary and thyme. To make it even more complicated, different herbs taste different on different veggies.

Once you have found your favorited seasonings, don’t be afraid to change it up a bit. Add a little bacon for some protein once in a while (bacon makes everything better, right!). Try adding some marinated steak strips when the veggies are nearly done.

You can even cheat if you like a little sweetness. Add a couple tablespoons of honey or maple syrup to enhance the natural sugars.

Always remember to go big with your roasting pan. Choose a pan with low sides and one where you can spread them out so they are not touching. You want the heat to get to all the edges. Overcrowding leads to a steaming effect, trapping moisture instead of evaporating it.

Another common mistake is resisting the urge to lower the heat. If you don’t keep them in the 400*F range, the veggies will only bake instead of roast and the caramelized effect will be lost.

There just aren’t any negatives to roasting veggies. This method is easy, quick, good for you and has a decadent flavor. They can be doing their thing while you are busy with the rest of the meal. What’s not to like!

 

 

A WICKED GOOD TIME

 

 

Fun. That is the one word for Halloween. It’s a holiday that is not linked to any emotions except going out and having a little fun by getting goosebumps by things that go bump in the night.

I still have fond memories of going to my grandmother’s place for Halloween night. She lived in a small town called Leonidas in Michigan where everyone knew everyone back then. My uncle would always make sure we had a huge pile of leaves for my cousins and me to jump in while waiting for it to get dark so we could turn into trick or treating ghouls.

The scariest thing back then was walking by an elderly woman’s house who chose not to entertain trick or treaters and turned all her lights off. What was behind those dark windows, what was she like, was she a witch…our imaginations made it even more fun.

Today’s world is different. With kids having to have their bags of candy checked for dangerous objects, Covid and not knowing all your neighbors, trick or treating is just not as fun as it used to be. Many churches and other institutions offer alternatives with hosting trunk or treat in their parking lots. Although fun, it’s just not the same.

However, if you want something a little more family and small group oriented, you can still have a wicked good time on Halloween. With just a little imagination, spook night can still be eerie, creepy and downright scary…in a fun way!

 

STORIES BY THE FIRE. There is something about the dark in itself that conjures up images of ghosts, boogeymen and other scary demons. When I was a kid, we had a creek with a woods that lie beyond it. To get to the woods, you had to walk down a quarter mile lane. I was determined one year to conquer my fear of the darkness and walk down there alone.

 

Going down was fine because I had the lights and security of the house behind me. Coming back was a different story. My imagination filled me with all sorts of scenarios of who or what was lurking behind me. Imagined threats are often scarier than the real ghouls.

 

A simple bonfire and a few tall tales can accomplish the same thing. There is always a storyteller or two in a group. A couple years ago I was sitting by the fire with two grandsons. All I did was start talking about what could be in the barn behind us…way out in the dark. I had such a captive audience until the younger one decided he needed to go to the house and check on Grandpa…he never returned. Mission accomplished.

 

HAYRIDES. If you live in the country and can wind your way around some fields or paths in the woods, you are all set. Don’t always think you have to have a huge wagon and lots of hay or straw. Improvise with small trailers with a couple blankets thrown on, various ATV vehicles like Quads, Polaris Rangers and the like. Just like a bonfire, a ride at night is altogether different than by day.

To make it even more interesting, have a couple friends dressed up hidden along the way. At strategic points, they can jump out and tell a ghoulish story or two, just be careful if you have wee little ones with you. The idea is to scare them for just one night, not for the rest of their lives!

There is a swampy area just a few blocks from my hometown’s downtown that is known as Dead Man’s Hollow. The main gist of the legend is that a man killed his wife and then hung himself there while another version is that men kept dying in that spot while digging a failed canal. Whatever actually happened, there is still a general feeling of unease for anyone passing through as they go from a small town neighborhood into a deep woods. And at Halloween…well, you can just imagine!

We have told this story at bonfires and on hayrides many times. Even though the area is two miles away, it makes for some great Halloween fun.

 

DRESS UP AND SPOOK SOMEONE. There was a group of ten of us who used to get together once a month or so and do something fun and each year the Halloween party was usually at our house. One year we took the party to the guests instead of vice versa.

 

We put on our grim reaper costumes, drove down the road from some friends’ houses and parked. We then walked up to the door and knocked. When they opened the door, we only used hand motions to communicate since they would know our voices. It was fun watching them try to guess who we were. We did this to four different couples and they never did guess who their “guests” were. This memory still comes up every year about this time for all of us.

 

CRASH A PARTY. Lots of folks say they don’t want to dress up because everyone guesses who you are right away and there is no fun in that. Well, that’s only if you don’t do it right. This was a little extreme, but one year we took off on a whim to visit our daughter and family who we knew went all out for Halloween by decorating their whole woods and having a party.

She lived 500 miles away so she never dreamed on us showing up. We managed to call her that day and tell her to have a good time (while we were on our way there!). We parked down at the neighbors and walked up to her place during the height of the party. Wearing the grim reaper outfits again and remaining mute, we ate, drank, shook hands with others and mingled for a couple hours before she actually came up to us and asked who we were! Such fun!

You could do this a little closer to home if someone you know is having a bash. If you arrive with some flair, it’s even more fun. Dance your way in; if you are apt, walk in juggling; have a bowl full of wrapped miniature candy bars and offer them to each guest. The more creative, the more the fun!

 

HAUNTED HOUSES. If you are into the Halloween spirit but don’t want to go to a lot of work to have a little fun, grab a friend or someone and check out a haunted house…uh, one that’s open to the public that is!

Our group went to a haunted house about 20 miles from our place a few years back. We had a frightening good time and didn’t have to lift a finger to do any work.

My grandson and I went to a haunted house a couple years ago. It was a rainy, gloomy night that added to the scary scene. He was 13 at the time. We had a ball! He went through behind me and kept poking and grabbing me at the darkest places. To exit, we had to slide from the top floor in an old-fashioned fire escape. A couple feet from the exit, I literally got stuck because I went feet first (what was I thinking!). He had to push me out, right into a mud puddle.

I had screamed so much that I lost my voice and had to sit on an old towel because I was all wet to get home. We laughed so hard all the way home, over such simple things!

Halloween is supposed to be fun and there are countless ways of getting in on the ghoulish, scary things that go bump in the night that make this holiday just pure fun!

FALL GARDEN CHORES

 

 

Although the garden is a labor of love, there is always a sigh of relief when another season closes. It can be tempting, after all the weeding, nurturing and canning, to just close the gate and wait for spring to get back at it.

However tempting that may be, there are certain fall garden chores that are inevitable and others that…well, just make life easier in the spring.

  

DIGGING BULBS. After the deluge of vegetables that seem to all ripen at once is over, it is so easy to think that your gardening duties are done for the season. I can’t think of the times that I have forgotten to dig my bulbs that can’t over-winter.

 

Bulbs like gladiolus, cannas and dahlias need to be dug before the ground freezes. Ideally, it is best to dig those after the first frost but you can also dig them earlier provided you let them dry well in a well-ventilated area before storing.

 

GATHERING SEEDS. Seeds should be collected after the plants are done producing and when they are dry. Many times, they will begin falling out of their pods when the time is right. They should always be collected on a dry, sunny day.

Vegetables go to seed soon after they are done producing. Seeds may then be collected or you can dry the whole vegetable and then remove the seeds.

Flowers are the same. I like to wait until after the first frost to collect mine since frost doesn’t hurt the seeds and it is easier to collect them without so much foliage in the way. For flowers like zinnias and marigolds, the frost will speed up the drying process so there is less chance of the seeds molding.

 

GET RID OF PROBLEM WEED ROOTS. After foliage has died down, it’s time for us to get down….literally and dig out the roots of those problem weeds. I’m talking plants like morning glories that are so invasive that they wrap themselves around all the other garden inhabitants. Now is the time to get them out before they drop all their seeds. Be sure to dig down and get to the root of the problem.

Remember to get rid of as many weeds as possible. Leaving them and tilling them in will only re-plant the seeds.

 

PLANTING A COVER CROP. Although somewhat controversial, many believe that a fall cover crop will power the soil, stop weeds and will fill the garden with a lush, protective carpet of greenery. It is a tool to help stop erosion and will protect the soil from winter’s harsh winds, sleet and snow.

It also rejuvenates and revitalizes the garden’s tired soil by helping to fix nitrogen levels. In the spring when the cover crop dies down, its foliage and roots break down, adding valuable nutrients and organic matter to the soil. Cover crops’ roots go deep  which helps in loosening and aerating soil.

It will also help to prevent next year’s weeds in the garden by snuffing out weeds that may just be getting a start. Cover crops can also shield the garden from weed seeds that winds bring in and stop them from germinating.

There are many varieties of cover crops to choose from, depending on your specific needs. Winter rye is a good all-around choice since it acts as an ultimate organic fertilizer.

In spring, you have your choice of tilling it down when it dies off or mowing over it a few times and then planting.

 

TILLING. This is the big one. Some insist on waiting until spring and others like to get it done in the fall. Fall tilling is about opening the soil to incorporate amendments, relieve compaction, increase oxygen and improve drainage.

 

First and foremost, usually there is more time in the fall to get this done. There are usually many dry and sunny fall days to get the earth turned, you don’t have to rush and you can do it on your schedule. If you wait until spring, you are definitely at the mercy of the weather. It is usually muddy from snow melt and spring rains. Sometimes you just can’t get in to work the ground as soon as you would like to get the plants out.

 

If you deep till in the fall, all that is required in the spring is a single tilling before planting. In the fall, the earth is already warm and workable whereas in spring, it is slow to warm up and resists tilling well.

 

This is the time to add amendments evenly over the soil before turning the soil. Remember, soil is a living organism, full of natural fungi, worms and microbes. Plant roots communicate and encourage each other to grow by sharing resources. This is how forests survive and thrive.

Spread lots of manure and compost to feed these microorganisms which help the soil to remain open and well-drained. Adding this organic matter in the fall gives it the entire winter to break down.

After adding the amendments, till them in, the deeper the better. First, rough till in both directions. This will leave the surface irregular with large chunks of earth. These clods will erode and carry the amendments down deep. After tilling, mulch with shredded leaves, hay or straw to prevent erosion. The ground will flatten by spring.

Be careful to not overdo the tilling. Too much will wreak havoc on the earthworms and other beneficial organisms.

The University of Minnesota recommends fall tilling if you plant mainly summer and fall crops. It takes months for the nutrients to break down, spread through the soil and to become available for plants to absorb. It also turns weed seeds closer to the surface, thus letting exposure to the harsh winter elements kill them so they can’t sprout in the spring. Tilling also breaks up the root system of these seeds.

Loosening the soil also lets oxygen reach deeper down while at the same time, it destroys pests that are present in the soil. Many of their larvae burrow deep down and tilling exposes them to winter temperatures.

All of these chores sound like a lot to do in the fall. However, when spring rolls around, you will thank yourself for tackling them in the fall.