My thought is that if I give you a recipe, you have a recipe. If I give out a technique, you can play with it and make it your own. . .so you can roast garlic or cook it on the stovetop. . .or roast asparagus in the spring. . .and the possibilities soon become almost limitless. Watch for more technique pages in the future.
Garlic - when you cook it, don't overdo it. Once it's somewhere beyond golden, it's overdone. If you're sauteeing a bunch of garlic and other stuff (broccoli rabe, spinach, etc.,)l; wait until the other stuff is almost done. . . then add the garlic for a bit at the end, just until you smell it. It'll add a better flavor.
Onions - if you like onion flavor, but not the "bite", slice them thinly and soak them in vinegar for an hour or more. Some suggestions - balsamic-soaked onions with spinach and walnuts; red-wine vinegar soaked onions with feta and mixed greens; cider vinegar-soaked onions with blanched, chilled green beans. . .you can go on and on.
Roasting Vegetables - I like to roast around 425 degrees. It gives me more control - 450 and above goes from "done" to "burnt" quickly. I always put foil or parchment down on the cookie sheet for easy cleanup. There are three categories of vegetables for roasting: the ones you want to get black, the ones you want to do in a foil pouch, and the ones you want to be spotted golden or brown. All roasted vegetables should be tossed in a bowl with olive oil (not the fancy stuff, the everyday stuff - see "Ingredients"), salt and pepper. Other herbs will burn, so add them in a vinaigrette at the end if you like. Spread them on the cookie sheet, and turn them about halfway through.
Roast until blackened (or grill or put on the gas burner and turn frequently) - Peppers of all varieties get sweeter, and you're going to peel off the skins anyway. Ditto for tomatoes. Corn is okay slightly charred (pretty little grill marks are okay - black all over, not so much).
Light-to-dark-brown in spots - broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, brussels sprouts (cut in half if approaching ping-pong or golf-ball size), all varieties of onions.
How long should you roast? Peppers and tomatoes take 20-30 minutes - then check on them and taste them. Broccoli, cauliflower - check at 30 minutes and taste. Corn (on the cob) - barely a few minutes on the grill. Don't try to do corn in the oven unless you're going for a dried effect. Asparagus - check after 10 minutes and taste. Onions - depends on how big you chop them. If you quarter an average onion, check it after 30 minutes for tenderness (poke it with a fork) and brown spots.
Roast in foil pouch - garlic, spread with a little olive oil; baby new potatoes or potatoes in a 1/2-1 inch dice, tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper, a peeled clove or two of garlic if you want, and fresh rosemary; beets (separate by color and cut off greens and long icky roots) in their scrubbed and washed skins.
Roasting in the foil pouch - this is really roasting/steaming, so open carefully -- steam burns hurt like you won't believe. For garlic, cut the top of a whole head off, drizzle with olive oil and put on a piece of foil. Lift the edges and seal to make a pouch. It takes 45 minutes to an hour for the whole thing to become soft and unctuous. For the taters, check them after 25 minutes. The taters should be soft (poke with aforementioned fork) on the inside and brown on the outside. Leave the beets in at least 45 minutes. When you start to smell them, open and poke with a fork. (There's a theme developing here. . .) When they're done, seal up the pouch and let them cool. Then you can rub the skins off really easily. I like to wear gloves (the thin surgical-type gloves, non-latex is better), and work over paper towels or a non-porous surface, because beets - especially the red ones - stain everything. But that sweet, earthy flavor, cold, room temp, or hot, is so worth it!
What not to roast: I don't roast starchy vegetables (carrots, potatoes, sweet 'taters, except in a pouch as above) from a raw state, because the outside cooks faster than the inside unless you dice them fairly fine. I parboil (pre-cook in boiling water until slightly tender), then toss in olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast. I've never roasted sugar peas, celery, radishes, or cucumbers. . .or lettuce or other leafy greens. If you have done something else successfully, please post a response.
