This is a dish that can be prepared the day before serving. Prep all of the vegetables,  blanch and cool them. Make the vinaigrette and store in a separate container. Keep it all in the refrigerator overnight. About an hour before serving, toss the veg with the dressing and pour into a small roasting pan or flat casserole dish. Bake at about 400 – 425 degrees for about 30 minutes or until the mixture is browning and caramelized (not burnt) around the edges.

It’s a bit difficult to give exact directions for this dish, but I will give you some guidelines which may be helpful.

Begin with choosing the vegetables your family enjoys. There are some obvious ones that don’t do well with roasting, like peas and corn 😉

I used carrots, parsnips, small onions, like cippoline or pearl, and Brussels sprouts. This is a good place to introduce new veggies, like celery root or fennel. Start with small amounts.

Cut the veggies into bite-sized pieces, roughly the same size.

Blanche the vegetables separately in boiling, salted water just until they begin to get tender.

After each one is partially cooked, drain it in a colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking.

Place all of the vegetables in a bowl and toss with a simple vinaigrette of one part balsamic vinegar to 2 parts extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper and a little maple syrup.

Just use enough to evenly coat the vegetables. Save the rest to baste the mixture if it appears to be dry.

Roast in a hot oven, about 425 degrees until vegetables are browned around the edges and tender. Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.