Roasted Jigsaw Puzzle

By Hklbrries

Fitting the variety of shapes and colors of vegetables into a single layer in the roasting pan gave this recipe its name.

Ingredients

• 1 large Jewel yam
• 1 large Garnet yam
• 1 large sweet potato
• 2 large All Blue potatoes
• 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes
• 2 large All Red potatoes
• 3 medium yellow onions
• 3 medium Pink Lady apples
• 1 medium head broccoli
• Grapeseed oil
• Mixed dry Italian herbs
• Fresh ground black pepper
• Medium grain sea salt

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Scrub all ingredients; do not peel anything. Cut apples and onions into halves. Cut yams and sweet potatoes into 6 slices. Cut remaining potatoes into 3 thick slices each. Cut broccoli into small florets.

Pour lots of grapeseed oil into bottom of a large, heavy roasting pan with at least 2 1/2-inch sides. Add vegetables. Use both hands to cover all sides of vegetables with oil. Arrange apples and vegetables (except broccoli) in bottom of pan; try to keep cut sides down.

Mix onion and apples among potatoes. Put a heaping teaspoon of Italian herbs in your palm; rub with other palm while sprinkling over vegetables. Sprinkle ground pepper liberally over mixture. Sprinkle a few pinches of sea salt over mixture.

Set prepared pan of vegetables in middle of preheated oven. Roast 60 to 80 minutes. Check every 20 minutes. Add broccoli after 20 minutes. The vegetables should be caramelizing to a deep brown on bottom side, but not burning.

Lower temperature to 380 F if oven is too hot. Cover loosely with aluminum foil if vegetables are turning too dark but not getting done.

The yams take the longest to cook. When they are tender, the roasting is finished. The other potatoes will be crusting on the outside, soft on the inside. The apples will collapse, the onions will be melt-in-the-mouth soft under their protective skins.

Serve with a mixed green salad, accented with toasted nuts and dried tomato-spiked goat cheese. Hot, crusty French bread. A good Pinot Gris.