This dish of slowly roasted fall vegetables with cheese is our last entry in a week of recipes that take advantage of the delicious local feta cheese we have in our fridge.
We didn't get a shot of these vegetables after they were roasted. Frankly, they are much prettier beforehand. But more delicious - oh, so much more! - after an hour or so in the oven, bubbling away with a little lemon juice and broth, salt and pepper.
The vegetables in this dish (inspired by Laurie Colwin, we should add) are the best of fall's bounty: fennel, celery, onion... The vegetables get soft and juicy as they bake in a covered pan, oozing their juices along with the cheese brine. You can strain out this juiciness before serving, or just serve the vegetables over rice or noodles that will soak it up.
Roasted Fall Vegetables with Feta Cheese
serves 4-6
1 head fennel, top removed
2 large red peppers
10 stalks of celery, tops and root bottoms removed
1 large sweet onion
1 large red onion
Chunky kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth
Juice of 1 lemon
4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Heat the oven to 400°F. Cut the fennel into about 8 evenly-sized pieces. Core and wash the red peppers and cut them into 4-6 pieces each. Cut the celery into evenly-sized chunks. Peel and trim both the onions and cut into large chunks - about 8 pieces each.
Toss with salt and pepper in a large roasting dish. Stir in the chicken (or vegetable) broth and lemon juice. Cover with foil or a lid and cook for about 45 minutes. Lift the lid and check - the vegetables should be soft and hot, with the juices bubbling.
Sprinkle the cheese over the vegetables and remove the cover. Roast for an additional 30 minutes, checking occasionally.
Take out and let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Related: Strange New Vegetable: Yacon
(Image: Faith Durand)
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May i see the final product? Mine always turns out watery.
view sandhya's profile
Ooh! I love roasting vegetables, but have NEVER thought of adding feta...brilliant!
I usually don't use broth, just a little olive oil...
view maggie (p/c)'s profile
This was my first time roasting vegetables. I thought the final product was tasty, but not something I would eat on its own.
I found my veggies came out rather watery, so what I did was served them with pasta that was just *slightly* undercooked. I poured the veggies over the pasta while they were still piping hot, and the pasta soaked up all the extra water.
I think what I liked the best about this recipe was the taste of the fennel...this was my first time cooking with fennel, and I was pleasantly surprised. The anise flavor is very subtle, and the lemon juice makes a great accent.
view Faeriechilde's profile
I usually do something similar for pasta sauce -roasting vegetables with feta, that is - except I also add some torn white or wholewheat bread for a bit of body. The fennel was a nice touch, but next time I would use less lemon because it's taste was quite overpowering. And yes, much less stock, or better yet, no stock at all; the taste of roasted vegetables speaks for itself anyway.
view terrif20's profile
Just a note - it's not vegetarian if it has chicken broth in it.
view kkroh's profile