During the colder months our bodies tend to crave heartier foods. I like to keep it simple with farm roasted vegetables, like potatoes, eggplant, squash, garlic and onions. Here I have roasted some potatoes and garlic from my friend’s farm that’s only 10 minutes from my home. She has 12 acres of land that she grows organic produce. There is something very special about being about to connect to the place and people that grow our food. I believe it gives me a better sense of what I am consuming and understand the love and work that was put into it. I think what matters to me even is the fact that I get to support local farmers and my community. If you have local farmers near you or even farmers markets try them out, when we eat locally we are getting the best from our food.

This recipe is wonderful on its’ on or you can toss everything in nice helping of olive oil with a bit of basil and shaved parmesan. I cut the garlic cloves in half to expose the garlic so it would caramelize while roasting. This dish is excellent along side some fresh sautéed greens, or nice protein, like my herb crusted chicken legs or even just a simple green salad.

However you decide to enjoy this dish, always remember to Live Well. Live Beautifully. Live You.

Ingredients:

3 pounds baby potatoes ( such as red, white or Peruvian purple), rinsed

3 garlic bulbs

1/4 cup extra – virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt , possible more for taste after baked

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Toppings: You can add your favorite shredded cheese and our favorite herbs. I added fresh basil once I smashed the garlic and potatoes together with a drizzle of good extra virgin olive oil.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven 425 F.

For the garlic, remove outer papery layers of garlic bulbs, leave the skins on and keep the cloves attached. Using a sharp knife, trim about 1/4 inch off the top of the bulb to expose the cloves, you may need to cut off a bit more to expose the cloves.

In a large bowl, toss together the potatoes, garlic bulbs, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and ground black pepper.

Spread the potatoes and garlic out evenly on a baking sheet. Roast until the potatoes are tender, crispy, and browned, and the garlic is caramelized, about 40-45 minutes. Once roasted, remove them from the oven and place them in a bowl. Add a drizzle of https://www.purechilean.com extra-virgin olive oil, shaved Parmesan, fresh basil leaves, and lemon zest for a touch of freshness.