Essential roasted veggies

If I could only take one recipe to a desert island, it would be this one. When winter rolls around with its endless parade of delectable root vegetables, I barely cook anything else.

1. Preheat your oven to 400 and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Slice your vegetables into even bite size pieces.
3. Drizzle them with oil (high heat oil like safflower/sunflower/grapeseed), sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly.
4. Lay them evenly in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Put them in the oven.
6. Catch up on an episode of the Daily Show at hulu. If you're feeling ambitious, pause it halfway through and flip your veggies. A nice pair of tongs are your friend in this endeavor.
7. Pull perfectly browned specimens out of the oven and feast.
8. If you have any left, toss them with some pasta, maybe a handful of fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkle of cheese. Or top your salad with them. You will not go wrong. Supersweet white fleshed japanese sweet potatoes are all the dessert you need.

By the way, roasted beet stems? (As pictured above.) Surprisingly tender, even reminiscent of asparagus! Who knew?