Roasted Carrots And Beets

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds carrots, mixed colors if available, peeled
1 1/2 pounds beets, different sizes and colors if available
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bulb garlic, broken apart, 1/2 the cloves smashed, 1/2 left whole
extra virgin olive oil
1 orange, juiced
a few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
a few sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked
5 T balsamic vinegar
4 thick organic pork loin chops, skin on
8 fresh sage leaves
1 lemon

Preparing the carrots and beets:
Carrots and beets are particularly good when roasted as it brings out their natural sugars. The best advice I can give you is about flavoring them. A few smashed garlic cloves, a woody herb like rosemary, thyme, sage or bay, and a splash of vinegar, or squeezed lemon or orange juice, can accentuate their natural flavor.
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Put the carrots into a large pot and the beets into another, and add enough water to cover them. Season with salt and bring to a boil. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes until just tender, then drain and place in separate bowls. Peel the beets, and cut any larger carrots and beets in half or into quarters. Smaller ones can stay whole.

Add the flavorings while the vegetables are still hot. Toss the carrots with half the smashed garlic and a glug of olive oil, then lightly season. Add the orange juice and the thyme leaves and toss again. Mix the beets with the rest of the garlic, the rosemary, balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Put the vegetables either into separate ovenproof dishes, or together on a large roasting pan with the carrots in 1 half of the pan and the beets in the other. Place in the middle of the preheated oven and roast for around 1/2 hour or until golden. Remove the carrots and beets from the oven when they start to color - they should be sticky.

Serves 4