A Simple Supper

It was a busy day at Linderhof -- time to decorate the garden for winter -- filling the pots that didn't have pansies with pine cones and/or greenery and putting some "tree toppers" (which look like little Christmas trees) into two of the urns.

And then the roping around the front door and filling the Asian bowl on the porch table with more pinecones and filling the iron urn on the porch with greenery and sugar pine cones.

But Linderhof both outside and in is decorated for Christmas -- the tree is up, there are poinsettias around, and greenery on the mantles.

And besides working outside I managed to make a batch of bourbon balls -- for they, like the Dundee cakes, need to "age" to be really good!

A simple supper was in order -- a ham steak and a platter of roasted root vegetables.

It's an easy recipe -- the hardest part is peeling the butternut squash. Once the vegetables are peeled and cubed, toss them with olive oil, salt and pepper and put in a 425 oven for about 25 to 35 minutes until they tender and caramelized. It's an Ina recipe so you know that it is both easy and good! And especially nice sprinkled with minced parsley from my windowsill plant!

The nicest thing is that it makes a lot of vegetables for two persons and so tomorrow we shall enjoy roasted root vegetable soup for lunch!

BAREFOOT CONTESSA ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES

1 pound carrots, peeled

1 pound parsnips, peeled

1 large sweet potato, peeled

1 small butternut squash, peeled and seeded (about 2 pounds)

3 T. good olive oil

1 1/2 t. kosher salt

1/2 t. freshly ground black pepper

2 T. chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat the oven to 425.

Cut the carrots, parsnips, sweet potato and butternut squash in 1 to 1 1/4 inch cubes. All the vegetables will shrink while baking, so don't cut them too small.

Place all the cut vegetables in a single layer on 2 baking sheets. Drizzle them with olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss well. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until all the vegetables are tender, turning once with a metal spatula.

Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste and serve hot.

It's Friday which means that it's Foodie Friday so please join Michael at Designs by Gollum to see what other delicious dishes there are this Friday!