Fresh Produce and a recipe!

One thing we have not been hurting for during this Covid lock-down is good food. Supply chains in our area have remained strong (THANK YOU to our delivery people and grocery store workers!), and the grocery stores have remained well stocked with fresh produce. Add to that, we recently joined the Catawba Fresh Market and picked up our first selection this week from the drop off station just up the street (we walked there). This was the gorgeous haul from local farms. We also got eggs - such beautiful eggs! I mean, look at those colors! Stan washed everything thoroughly. And being the wonderful chef that he is, he turned it into this amazing meal of roasted veggies, salad with home-made vinaigrette, and hard-baked eggs. It tasted as good as it looks, an absolute feast for the taste-buds! I asked Stan how he did it...
Preheat the oven to 375°. This will take about an hour and ten minutes baking time.

Beets: Cut the ends off the beets, but don't peel them. Rub them with salt and extra virgin olive oil. Then individually wrap them in foil and place on parchment paper on a baking sheet in a 375° oven for 1 hour, ten minutes. Unwrap beets, and carefully peel them with the edge of a spoon (they will be HOT), then chop into bite-sized pieces.

Veggies: Peel and chop the veggies (in this case turnips and sweet potatoes) into bite-sized pieces, but leave the carrots whole if they're pretty ones like these. Coat in olive oil and salt, a little chopped, fresh rosemary and thyme. Spread in a baking pan and cook (no parchment paper) at 375° for an hour and ten minutes, turning the veg regularly.

Eggs: At some point during the baking, put the eggs on the baking sheet or the baking pan (doesn't matter which) for fifteen to twenty minutes. Then place in ice-water until ready to peel and serve.

Vinaigrette: Take apple cider vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, brown mustard, salt/pepper, the remaining rosemary and thyme, and whisk them together in the bottom of your salad bowl, then build the salad on top and mix well.

There is nothing like fresh from the farm to bring out natural flavors. Enjoy!