The weather has been a bit funky here and I can’t figure out what to wear or eat because one minute it is eighty degrees and the next minute it is cold and rainy. Part of me is looking forward to the fall and all that comes with it, but there is the other part of me that hasn’t had enough of summer yet.

Cool and misty morning

This afternoon it turned chilly with giant rain drops falling from the sky which moved me back into the sweater and boots mode. I made a wonderful warm dish for a late afternoon snack/early light dinner.

Olive oil and salt roasted sweet potatoes and beets served with a sharp cheese like the aged Gouda we had on hand, some nice olives and bread or crackers was just perfect.

beets-and-sweet-potatoes

OLIVE OIL AND SALT ROASTED SWEET POTATOES & BEETS
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
 
Ingredients
  • 2 medium size sweet potatoes or yams, washed, peeled and sliced thin
  • 3 medium red beets, washed, peeled and sliced thin
  • 2-3 small golden beets, washed, peeled and sliced thin
  • 1 head of garlic, leave the paper on it
  • ⅓ cup olive oil, plus a little extra for basting
  • ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon coarse salt
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • A handful of fresh herbs – I used sage, parsley and oregano
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Brush a 6 or 8 inch cast iron pan with some olive oil.
  3. Mix the ¼ teaspoon salt and ⅛ teaspoon pepper with the ⅓ cup olive oil and set aside.
  4. Arrange the sliced sweet potatoes in the pan as you see in the photo, going half way around the pan making a half circle.
  5. Next, take the red beets and arrange them next to the sweet potatoes in an arc shape and then place the golden beets at the lower part of the pan.
  6. Take the head of garlic and place it in the little space left at the bottom of the pan.
  7. Using a pastry brush, coat all of the sweet potatoes first, the golden beets second and then the red beets with some olive oil.
  8. Sprinkle with some coarse salt.
  9. Place in the oven and roast for 1 hour. The veggies should be tender and browned along the top edges.
  10. Remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle the pan.
  11. Sprinkle with the fresh herbs and serve.
  12. The roasted garlic is wonderful squeezed out of the paper and spread onto some bread or eaten with the veggies.

Note: you may want to use gloves when peeling the red beets as they can stain your hands. Also be careful to cut them on a plastic board as they can easily color wood boards and counter tops.
roasted-beets-and-sweet-potatoes