Thanksgiving Recipe: Roasted Carrots & Parsnips with Ginger-Scallion Glaze

Thanksgiving approaches! Visit our Thanksgiving page to get more recipes and print out a menu you can fill in to honor the chefs in your family and the family farmers who grew the food you enjoy.

I've recently been going to my local "winter" farmers market despite the calendar date — I guess the cool weather makes it close enough (I wrote about the type of things I found there when I visited last January). One thing I always pick up is carrots, no matter what season is. They last pretty well in the fridge and I love munching 'em raw or roasting them in recipes like this. On Thanksgiving, sometimes you need an easy side dish you can do without thinking too hard and I think this fits the bill. I think carrots and especially parsnip match really well with the flavor of ginger, so here you go. The scallions help bring back some edge to counter the natural sweetness of the roasted vegetables.

Roasted Carrots & Parsnips with Scallion-Ginger Glaze
Recipe adapted from The Food Matters Cookbook by Mark Bittman.

Makes: 4 to 8 servings

• About 1 pound of carrots and parsnips, or all carrots, sliced diagonally about 3 inches long
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger
• 1⁄4 cup chopped scallions
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°. Toss carrots and parsnips with 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil on a baking sheet and roast them, shaking the pan and turning them occasionally, until tender and browned, 30 to 40 minutes.

2. While they cook, mix the ginger, scallions, garlic, and 1⁄2 teaspoon salt together in a heatproof bowl. Put the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a small saucepan or skillet over high heat until smoking. Carefully pour the oil over the ginger-scallion mixture and mix well, mashing a bit with the back of your spoon. (You can make this mixture ahead and can store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.)

3. Remove the carrots and parsnips from the oven and toss them with the ginger-scallion mixture. Serve warm.