Baked Harvest Vegetables

Baked Harvest Vegetables

When the leaves start turning and root vegetables pile up at the farmers’ market, this is the recipe to reach for.

Sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and onions bake covered in a bath of white grape juice and water until everything turns meltingly tender.

Celery goes in later to keep some bite, and then the whole pot gets thickened on the stove with arrowroot for a glossy, stew-like finish.

No butter, no oil, no cream. Just pure vegetable flavor concentrated by the oven’s heat and sweetened naturally by the grape juice.

Kitchen Tips

• Leave the skins on: Sweet potatoes, carrots, and parsnips don’t need peeling here. The skins hold the chunks together during the long bake and add earthy flavor.
• Use a heavy pot with a tight lid: Cast iron is ideal. A good seal traps steam and braises the vegetables evenly.
• Add the celery later: It goes in at the 60-minute mark so it keeps some texture instead of turning to mush.
• Arrowroot thickens clear: Unlike flour, arrowroot creates a glossy, transparent sauce that lets the vegetable colors shine through.