Rainfall Warning
Issued at 08:25 Saturday 27 January 2018
Rain, at times heavy, continues.
A moisture-laden frontal system will continue to move across the south coast today. Heavy rain expected.
Approximate rainfall amounts since Saturday morning: 70 mm over Metro Vancouver. Heavy downpours can cause flash floods and water pooling on roads. Localized flooding in low-lying areas is possible.
Saturday morning. 8:15 am and I awoke to my cat Salem purring and rubbing his face on my arm. “Get up and feed me mommy!”. I turned over opening my eyes. A somber grey light streamed in and heavy drops of rain trickled down strands of ivy that hang in front of the window. After breakfast for myself and the kitties, I grabbed my list, got in my car and headed out. My fiance was away this weekend visiting his cousin on Vancouver Island so I had decided early in the week that our home needed a full makeover. Something fresh for the new year. I bought a white soft linen duvet cover and Egyptian cotton sheets for our bed. Pillows for the couch, a big basket to store warm blankets, flowers and a new vase for the mantle, tea towels for the kitchen and lots of plants. I’ve been inspired recently in Scandinavian design and Hygge so everything I got was either white or light in color. After 8 hours of clearing cupboards, scrubbing tiles and sweeping hardwood floors, I lay content on the couch in a very clean tidy home, fireplace on, candles lit. Looking around it felt like I’d moved us somewhere in northern Sweden It felt good. Even my brain felt less cluttered. It’s nice to have your own space once in a while, to breathe, move at your own rhythm and it was so nice when Seth came home to share my project and prepare a special dinner. And keeping in the spirit of Hygge, (the Scandinavian spirit of coziness, homeyness and warmth) I prepared a grounding winter meal.
I picked up a full roasting chicken on my shopping run earlier in the day, butter lettuce and radicchio for a salad and an assortment of colorful root veggies: gold and red beets, parsnips and butternut squash. This is what I made.
Roasted Rainbow Root Veggies
You will need:
2 parsnips or turnips, chopped to about 2″ diameter
2 red beets, chopped to about 2″ diameter
2 golden beets, chopped to about 2″ diameter
1/2 medium butternut squash, chopped to about 2″ diameter
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh lemon juice
Loosely packed fresh herbs (or dry if you don’t have fresh). I used Rosemary, oregano, sage, thyme and parsley
sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Note:
Try to try to find turnips, beets and squash that are about the same diameter so that they’ll line up uniformly in your casserole dish.
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375F.
Wash and peel the parsnips, beets and squash. Slice into very thin circles. Try to get these as uniform as possible.
In separate bowls (ie beets in one bowl, squash in another etc), toss the vegetables in a little olive oil and lemon juice. Sprinkle generously with herbs, as well as a little sea salt and black pepper.
Arrange the vegetables in a baking dish, lining up a few slices of each type at a time. Sprinkle with a little extra olive oil, salt and leftover herbs.
Put the dish in the oven and roast for 40-45 minutes. If you want the tops to be a bit crispy, broil at the end for 1-2 minutes.
This is such an easy and tasty dish and it cooks for the same length of time as the chicken so while they roasted and filled the home with the scent of Wintery goodness, I quickly put a salad together and had time to enjoy a read through of my new fave blog Up Knorth with a glass of Amaretto on the couch.
This dish is also so pretty. It’s sure to impress guests so give it a try during your next dinner party…or Winter storm.
Hygge on.
Love,
Jennifer