Roasting beets and carrots is a quintessential part of winter time. Not only are they a cheap vegetable option full of great nutritional value, they are also winter hardy crops.
I actually had never tried beets until this summer through a local CSA that we use. A CSA is “Community Supported Agriculture” and basically you pay a farmer in the winter/spring to help bankroll them to grow your veggies for the summer. This is a great option to support local farmers and get a great deal on a summers worth of produce. At the end of this post, I have a breakdown of cost and benefits of getting a CSA.
This is a very simple recipe that takes minimal prep work and should be ready in under an hour!
Ingredients
- Beets
- Carrots
- Oil, salt, pepper, seasonings
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 400°
- Slice the carrots and beets to desired size
- Add desired oil and seasonings
- I generally just use salt and pepper to taste, because I really like the flavor of the veggies
- Roast in the oven on a cookie sheet for 30-50 minutes
- Mix at 30 minutes and check for desired softness
In-Season Vegetables/fruits: Winter
A lot of us in the US don’t really care too much about fruit or vegetable seasons because most grocery store will have almost all of them stocked year-round. This is a huge privilege but also a downside. We aren’t as connected with buying locally sourced food because so many things aren’t able to be grown in our climates year-round.
This doesn’t mean you need to only buy local or that you need to not eat items that don’t grow naturally in your area. I live in Maine, so we aren’t able to grow a lot locally 4-5 months out of the year.
However, a good rule of thumb is that root vegetables, the brassica family (cabbage, broccoli, Bok choy, etc.), and winter squashes are all in-season over winter. Here is a good guide to what is considered in-season winter vegetables/fruits.
Community supported agriculture
Last year for our CSA we paid $600 in spring for 20 weeks worth of produce. That breaks down to $30 a week in locally grown vegetables with enough each week to feed a family of 3-4 people. Some weeks my partner and I struggled to eat it all.
Similar to buying from bulk-stores, there is a high up-front cost associated with the savings that you receive which creates a cost-barrier for anyone who is living pay-check to pay-check. However, a lot of farms also offer payment plans for anyone who is unable to pay a large sum at once in the winter/spring.
Joining a CSA not only benefits you, but it also benefits local farmers. The business of farming is full of financial risks. Farmers need to sell the products they grow/raise and all of their investment is upfront. They pay for the land, the seeds, the livestock, the feed, etc. all up front. Farming is also a full-time job, so a lot of farmers are not able to supplement their farm income.
Needless to say, I love local farms.
Looking for a similar recipe, check out my Roasted Miso Japanese Turnips!
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