This recipe is about choosing a variety of vegetables of different colours and cutting them to a similar size to ensure the cooking time is the same. Feel free to swap out vegetables - you could try celeriac, cauliflower, beetroot, parsnip or onions.

Add a splash of stock or white wine at the beginning, as the vegetables will soak up the liquid in the first half of cooking then caramelize and brown around the edges after that.  You can also replace the thyme or rosemary and add chopped fresh soft herbs, like parsley, chervil, chives after roasting. It will ready on the table in 30 minutes.

This is a vegan dish, but if you’d like protein I have suggesed adding Main Ridge Dairy’s haloumi or feta. You could even serve it with a lamb chop or steak.

serves 4, or 6-8 as a side dish

3 curly kale stems, leaves stripped and torn

⅓ cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil

350g pumpkin, cut into 3cm pieces

2 bunches Dutch carrots, cut into 3cm pieces

1 leek, cut into 1cm rounds

500g midnight pearl potatoes, cut into 1cm rounds

1 lemon, cut into wedges

6 thyme sprigs 

2 rosemary sprigs, leaves picked

2 bay leaves, torn

¼ cup stock or white wine

Non vegan option: add 100g haloumi or feta, cubed

Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced).  Toss the kale leaves in a teaspoon of olive oil and massage leaves for 30 seconds. Set aside.  

Spread the vegetables and lemon wedges in a single layer over a large baking tray. Scatter over the herbs and bay leaves. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Season with salt. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender.   

Remove the baking tray from the oven. Add the kale leaves and cheese, if using, and return to the oven.  Roast for 5 minutes, or until the kale is crisp but still green. Drizzle with a little olive oil, lightly toss together and serve straight away. 

© Fiona Hammond June 2020