For no other obvious reason, other than insanity, I decided to cater my own wedding. OK, to be honest, I hate wedding and never anticipating having one of my own to plan, so I knew that to make it tolerable, it would have to be to my standards – simple, warm, no creepy patriarchal traditions, and focused on who my now-husband and I are.
I couldn’t be happier with how things went, and I’ll be interspersing ordinary recipes with posts about the wedding – especially the food. The spread was gorgeous; strangers snapped pictures.
For today, roasted vegetables!
1 bunch asparagus, ends snapped off
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Preheat your oven to 400 F (205 C). Place asparagus in a large bowl and drizzle the oil, garlic and salt over the vegetables. Toss with your hands, to make sure the asparagus is evenly coated. Arrange asparagus on a large baking sheet, so they are laying mostly flat. I knew mine were going to be served at room temperature, so I crowded them a little more than usual. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, until your desired level of browning is reached.
Roasted Onions
6 onions, any kind you like
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 400 F (205 C). Cut off ends and peel onions. Slice lengthwise and then into wedges that are about half an inch at the thickest spot. The size is not important, you’ll simply have to watch them in the oven and adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Lightly grease your baking sheet with olive oil. Arrange the onions in a single layer on the baking sheet and pour the remaining olive oil over the onions. Evenly pinch the salt and thyme over the onions. Roast for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the onions are a beautiful caramel colour.
Roasted Herby Yams
4 medium yams, peeled and sliced into thin rounds
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, minced
Pinch of red pepper flakes
Preheat oven to 400 F (205 C). In a large bowl, combine the yam rounds with the other ingredients and toss to coat evenly. Arrange the slices so they are flat on a baking sheet. Roast for about 45 minutes or until the slices are tender and starting to brown. Serve at room temperature, for optimal deliciousness.
Roasted Zucchini
12 small zucchini (I did a mix of yellow and green because that’s what the market had)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
6 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Move one rack of the oven up to the top rung. Preheat oven to 450 F (230 C). In a small bowl, mix the olive oil and garlic. Slice the ends off the zucchini, then slice them into quarters, lengthwise, then in half. Place skin side down on baking sheet. Brush the oil mixture on the tops of the zucchini. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes, so they start to release some of their water and they get a little colour. Remove from the oven and toss with herbs and salt and pepper.