Cooking with San Francisco Cooking School - Roasted baby carrots with honeyed pimenton yogurt and toasted almonds

Roasted carrots and other vegetables conjures up images of the 1990s: bad vegetarian meals, limp produce and too many bell peppers.

Fear not. The poor roasted vegetable can be an incredible addition to a meal, or even the center of one. Just pay some attention to a few easy steps. The trick to roasting vegetables well is achieving a certain level of caramelization. Vegetables naturally contain sugar and when cooked at a warm enough temperature that sugar contributes such a rich depth of flavor, it’s hard to beat.First, to pick the right vegetables. It’s hard to single out things that shouldn’t be roasted—I’m all for trying anything at least once. My favorites are more sturdy veggies—ones that can withstand a pretty high heat in the oven without turning to mush inside. In spring, I naturally reach for carrots but I also like early-season summer squash, artichoke bottoms, beets, radishes, spring onions and, of course, asparagus.Oven temperature should be between 375° and 425°, and I always roast on a rimmed baking sheet. This pan allows me to spread out lots of vegetables without them overlap- ping, an important way to makesure all sides get caramelized. When you stack them up or crowd the pan you’ll end up steaming instead of roasting, so make sure you’ve got some room.At its most simple you can toss everything in olive oil, salt, pepper and call it a day. When spring vegetables are at the height of their season it’s really a shame to do much else to them. But if you insist on gilding the lily, throw in a handful of whole, skin-on garlic cloves, some wedges of lemon (be sure to squeeze them over the top just before serving), sprigs of fresh herbs or a pinch of complementary dried spices. Don’t over do it—remember, you want the vegetables to shine here.Resist the temptation to move anything around the pan while it roasts. To really achieve that crunchy brown exterior, vegetables need time to sear on the pan and the more you move them the more they’ll stick, tear and soften up. This is especially true for potatoes. (Side note: for the perfect roasted potato I believe in a quick blanch first and then move to roasting—the outside gets crispy while the inside becomes perfectly softened.)Finally, if you’re taking the time to roast one sheet, why not do two or three? Roasted vegetables make fantastic leftovers. Stir them into pasta, grains or soups; purée them for spreads or slather your favorite bread with goat cheese and stack on the veg for a killer sandwich.[tasty-recipe id="1530"]