Ingredients
5-6 small turnips, peeled and chopped into roughly 1½-inch pieces
4 very large parsnips (or 5-6 smaller ones), peeled and chopped into roughly 1½-inch pieces
3 large or 4-5 small clementines or mandarin oranges, peeled and segmented
8 whole cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
1 tablespoon honey
2-4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly cracked black pepper
Sea salt
Directions
A note about turnips and parsnips: These root vegetables often get a bad rap, but they both become lovely and sweet when roasted; turnips will have a slightly sharp or spicy flavor as well, reminiscent of horseradish. If you’re just not keen on turnips, however, you can make this recipe with parsnips only. The size of the vegetables can vary wildly depending on what your grocer stocks. I prefer to purchase smaller-sized roots as they’re easier to work with (and often sweeter), but you might not have a lot of options. Just make sure to chop the vegetables into pieces of similar sizes and you should be all right. Also, some grocers sell parsnips and turnips that have been waxed to keep them from drying out. I find these a pain to work with as the wax gets all over when you’re peeling, but the vegetable itself will be easy enough to chop once it’s peeled.
In a large bowl with a lid, mix together the honey, olive oil and rosemary. Add the chopped vegetables, clementine segments and garlic, then season with salt and pepper. Place the lid on the bowl, then shake it well; you want all of the vegetables and oranges to be evenly coated with the oil-honey mixture. If they look a little dry when you remove the lid after shaking, add a little more oil and honey, reseal, reshake, and reexamine. When they’re coated to your satisfaction, tip onto a foil-lined baking sheet and spread them evenly. Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit on the top rack of the oven until the root vegetables can be pierced with a fork and their edges are starting to get golden brown. The clementines will get a bit darker.
