Culinary Guides

This is a simple, good-looking side that works next to grilled chicken or steak, or on its own at happy hour. Quartered beets and halved carrots roast until sweet and caramelized, then get served with a tangy miso-yogurt sauce that is good on just about everything. Make a double batch of the sauce, since it keeps in the fridge for up to a week.

Ingredients

For the miso-yogurt sauce

• 1 cup full-fat Greek-style yogurt (plain)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white miso
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (unseasoned)
• Toasted sesame seeds

For the vegetables

• 4 medium beets, quartered
• 6 medium carrots, sliced in half
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Whisk together the yogurt, miso, honey, and rice wine vinegar until smooth. Taste and adjust, top with toasted sesame seeds, and set aside.
2. Heat the oven to 425F (220C).
3. In a large bowl, toss the quartered beets and halved carrots with the thyme sprigs, a generous drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper until evenly coated.
4. Spread the vegetables in a single layer on a large baking sheet, leaving space between the pieces so they roast rather than steam.
5. Roast 35 to 40 minutes, until tender and lightly browned, tossing halfway through.
6. Transfer to a platter and serve with the miso-yogurt sauce drizzled over or alongside for dipping. Scatter with a few more sesame seeds and serve warm or at room temperature.

Grower's tip: Beets give you two crops from one planting. While the roots size up underground, snip a few of the outer leaves from each plant for the salad bowl, taking no more than a third at a time so the beet keeps growing. Roast the roots when they are still tender, around golf ball to tennis ball size.

Store leftover vegetables and sauce in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Parsnips or sweet potatoes are easy to swap in or add; just adjust the roasting time to their size.

The whole platter starts in the garden. Sow a bed of beets and a row of carrots for roasting, and grow a little thyme to toss on the tray.