Roasting vegetables is great on so many levels: Though they may end up shriveled and wrinkly (I like to call this the “rustic” look), any sugars they contain are caramelized. This intensifies the vegetable’s flavor. Sometimes, I’ll cut carrots into thin, fry-shaped strips, toss them in olive oil and salt and crank up the oven until they’re almost black. The end result is a concentrated and heightened carrot flavor.

For potatoes, I don’t go as extreme, but I do like me a fairly browned spud. My favorite part about them is the crisp, almost leathery skin they develop while roasting. With a slight tug of your teeth, the skin releases a pillowy center, which, in this recipe, is achieved by adding salt before roasting to draw out a small amount of moisture from the potatoes. (Note: The photos in this post are a little less brown than what I normally aim for, for aesthetic purposes.)

ROASTED RED ROSE POTATOES WITH GARLIC AND ROSEMARY

Yield: 6 side servings
Cook’s note: The bigger the baking pan you use, the better. Try not to overcrowd the potatoes, or you risk steaming instead of roasting.

3 pounds red rose potatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons dried rosemary, crushed slightly
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon butter

PROCEDURE:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut potatoes into quarters or small, bite-sized pieces. Place on a large, parchment-lined rimmed baking pan.
2. Drizzle olive oil over potatoes. Add garlic, rosemary, salt and pepper (don’t overdo it; you can always add more after roasting). Using your hands, toss potatoes to coat in olive oil and to distribute garlic and rosemary.
3. Dot potatoes with small pinches of butter.
4. Place baking pan in oven and roast for 25 to 35 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and browned. (I actually like them really browned, so I leave them in there for about 10 to 15 minutes more). Season with salt and pepper, if needed.

Side note: March Madness is a month-long challenge in which I will post Monday through Friday for the entire month. I hope you will humor me in reading!

– Cynthia Furey

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 5th, 2009 at 3:41 pm and is filed under Fruit/Vegetables, In the kitchen, Side dishes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.