8 servings.

When you're shopping for vegetables for this recipe, take your inspiration from the market. Be adventuresome. Mix colors and contrasts. Add some fruit like pineapple, peaches and figs for variety and interest. Buy enough to prepare about four cups of cut up vegetables, which will feed about eight people.

Divide your vegetables into two piles, one for the hearty ones like carrots, brussel sprouts, potatoes, turnips, and squash, and another pile for the ones that are lighter (zucchini, red onion, asparagus, a variety of bell peppers, fennel and tomatoes) and faster cooking. Clean and cut all the vegetables in a variety of ways, cutting some into quarters, others on the diagonal and others lengthwise and crosswise. Preheat your oven to 425° F.

Place each of the two piles of cut veggies into separate bowls, and sprinkle each with:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
  
• About a teaspoon each of kosher salt freshly chopped thyme, sugar and freshly ground pepper.

Toss well.

Place the hearty vegetables in the oven on a shallow roasting pan with space in between. After about twenty minutes place the tender vegetables on a shallow roasting pan or pizza pan and allow these vegetables to roast for around twenty minutes. Both varieties should be tender, but firm when pierced with a fork.

Arrange the vegetables on a platter and sprinkle with a little freshly chopped flat leaf parsley. They can be served hot or at room temperature. You can also prepare these a few days before hand and they will hold nicely. Roasted veggies are a delicious accompaniment to any meal, and leftovers are great in sandwiches or soup or layered in a torte with goat cheese and cut into wedges.

By Rosalie Harrington, Food Consultant and Restranteur