Root Veggies: because maybe you’re looking for a unique idea for dinner for two, or just to add a little delightful color to a side dish.

Fall and late autumn is a great time to buy beets, pears and apples, so this dish can be made several different ways throughout the year. Its a versatile recipe that can be tailored to fit your taste. Some recipes even call for onions.

“Adding onions creates a deeper, savory finish to the dish, but I prefer to omit them because they take away from the light flavor.” ~Mimi

Bonus: Root veggies are good for your blood sugar and digestive system. They have a high concentration of antioxidants (Vitamins A, B, & C) and Iron. And in other news they’re great for diabetics and hypoglycemia because they are low on the glycemic index. Plus, beets are touted as a super food! They are loaded with beta carotene.

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Root Veggies (prep time: 15 min, Total: 1h 15m)

1 sweet potato (Beauregard)

4 Candy Cane Chioggia baby beets

2 Golden beets

3  large carrots

1 cup fresh cranberries

1 TBL olive oil

1 TBL Grade A Organic Dark Amber Maple Syrup (or just pure maple syrup will do)

1 tsp coarse sea salt

<Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a side dish>

Preheat oven to 375. Wash & quarter small beets. Cut up large beets, carrots, and sweet potato the same size as the quartered beets. They should be about 2 inch-sized cubes. Arrange root veggies in a large porcelain baking dish 9″x11″ (or cloche clay pot) in a single layer. Add cranberries, then drizzle olive oil and maple syrup, and sprinkle sea salt over the entire dish.

Bake for 1 hour. Allow to cool slightly before enjoying.