Roasted Root Vegetable & Pesto Salad

My food co-op has just made the summer switch over from vegetable bags to salad bags.  Despite having not had a bag for the last couple of weeks (busy with life and the decorating) there are still a number of root vegetables languishing at the bottom of the fridge waiting to be eaten.    As recent posts have showed I love roast vegetables.   They are simply easy and delicious, perfect for any non leafy vegetables that are slightly too large or past its best.      This is a fantastic recipe for the evening before co-op day, scoop out the remains of last week’s bag from the vegetable drawer of the fridge and use them all up.

This is another contribution to my series of easy, economical and healthy recipes of what to do with the contents of the co-op “boxes” for the Food Co-ops and Buying Groups project run by Sustain – also part of the Making Local Food Work programme funded by the Big Lottery.

Roast Root Vegetables with Pesto

A mix of carrots, parsnips, turnip, onions, potato, beetroot etc.
Olive Oil
Pesto
Salt & Pepper to taste

Simply peel the vegetables and cut into batons, chunks or wedges about the thickness of your thumb.   Place in a roasting tray, add a good glug of olive oil and a sprinkling of salt and pepper, give the tray a good shake to coat the vegetables with the oil.    Place in a moderately hot oven 190C / 325F / GM 5 and cook for about 40 minutes until the vegetables are soft and starting to caramalise.    Flip the vegetables once whilst cooking.

Place vegetables into a serving bowl, add a spoon or two of pesto and another glug of olive oil and stir well.   Serve warm or cold.

I add some more oil to my leftover pesto and freeze it in a tupperware box, by adding oil the pesto does not freeze completely solid so you can easily spoon some out.   To make the recipe vegan simply use a vegan pesto or make your own.