Roasted Vegetables with Caramelized Glaze

As anyone who has scattered vegetables around meat roasting in the oven knows, roasting transforms the most boring vegetables by concentrating the sugar and intensifying the underlying flavors. The next time you are stuck with rockhard supermarket tomatoes, cut the tomatoes into 1/2-inch slices and give them a preliminary roasting in the oven for 30 minutes. Then chop them into small pieces and add them to salsa, stew, or tomato sauce. Your gardening friends will think you yanked the tomatoes from the vine that morning.

ingredients

4 small red potatoes
4 small parsnips
1 bunch (about 12) small carrots
1 bunch small beets
1/2 pound medium-sized button mushrooms
2 red bell peppers
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons Extra-virgin Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons White Wine
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Light Brown Sugar
1/4 Teaspooon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2 Gloves Garlic, finely minced
1 Tablespoon Fresh Ginger, finely minced
2 Tablespoons Fresh Herbs, Chopped (cliantro, basic, chives, rosemary, tarragon, or oregano)

directions

1
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub the potatoes. Peel the parsnips and carrots. Scrub the beets. Wipe the mushrooms with a damp towel. Stem and seed the bell peppers, then cut into 1-inch cubes.
2
Place all of the vegetables together in a large mixing bowl. Line a shallow roasting pan with foil and spray with nonstick cooking oil.
3
In a saucepan, combine all the remaining ingredients. Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the sauce to a low simmer. Pour the sauce over the vegetables, stir to coat evenly, then lay hte vegetables in the roasting pan.
4
Roast the vegetables until they become tender, about 1 hour, turning them over and brushing on more sauce every 15 minutes.
5
Transfer the vegetables to heated dinner plates and serve at once.