I’m a huge fan of simplicity.  But it does not come easily to me.

And then sometimes circumstance forces my hand.

With no time to go grocery shopping and a bunch of root vegetables hanging about one night last week, I ended up simply chopping up the veggies; sprinkling them with olive oil, smoked salt, and black pepper; and roasting them.

That’s it.

And they were delicious I was kind of floored.

I don’t us smoked salt a lot, or hadn’t up until then, which makes me feel like a fool because although it’s not as great as, say, the album version of “Let It Be” is great, it’s pretty goddamn great all the same.  The carrots, beets, squash, and potatoes seem to gain a richness of their own flavor that, oddly, isn’t particularly smoky.  The end result, paired with some polenta (the only grain on hand) sprinkled with cheddar cheese, was surprisingly enough not only sufficiently filling but also sufficiently satisfying for dinner.  I hadn’t had time to even chop up the garlic but had just thrown in whole cloves, and that was the right move, too, as it let the garlic be in the mix and be itself but let the true tastes of the veggies be revealed as themselves.

I’ll be fixing it again, and you should consider it as a quick, simple dinner this winter.

Smoked Winter Veggies

• Chop up carrots, beets, potatoes, turnips, or any other winter root vegetable.  Cutting different sizes and thicknesses changes the texture experience of the dinner.  Keep the garlic cloves whole
• Toss in olive oil and sprinkle liberally with smoked salt and fresh ground paper.
• Roast at 425 degrees for approximately 70 minutes or until your fork sinks easily into the produce
• Serve with polenta, rice, or crusty bread.