Do you have seasonal farmers markets near you? Take. Advantage. Over the years, I have found some of the best produce from locally grown & organic farms. And they are quite inexpensive. I was fortunate enough to have the local farmers gather in Dag Hammarskjold Plaza right next to my condo. There was so much produce – all different colors and styles – I had to control myself! I ended up getting a few Candy Cane Beets, Purple Carrots, Red Jalapenos, Blue Potatoes, among other goodies. Given that these were fresh and beautiful, I didn’t want to do much to overwhelm their natural flavors. I kept it simple and fresh.

Roasted ‘Candy Cane’ Vegetables: 

• 4 Candy Cane Beets – peeled, cut in thin half moons
• 4 Purple Carrots – peeled and cut into strips
• 4 Blue Potatoes – scrubbed and cut into thin rounds
• 2 Red Jalapenos – minced
• 4 cloves garlic – peeled and slightly mashed
• 1 tbsp good quality maple syrup
• 1 tbsp fresh sage – cut into thin ribbons
• salt
• black pepper
• olive oil

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees.

2. In a large sheet pan, add chopped veggies and all of the ingredients. Coat with about 2 tbsp olive oil and toss well to make sure all veggies are coated with oil and seasonings. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until veggies are fork tender – not mushy.

3. Serve with some more sea salt and fresh sage sprinkled on top either alone or with rice. Enjoy!