Cubit’s Organics’ Roasted Carrots and Beets with Mint and Feta

{ this post was originally published over on Sadie Designs. Sarah's blog is a delicious place and I'm sure you'll see why we wanted to work together. }

The combination of sandy soil and full sun means that we are able to grow really nice root vegetables in our front yard here in Toronto.  When we’re not growing for seed, we just grow all the different types and colours mixed up so what you pick is a surprise; A striped beet or a purple carrot? Who knows.

Our two year old daughter has taken to announcing that she needs a carrot and then heads to the front door to go get one from the garden.  I can’t help but oblige and let her pick a few whether I was planning on having them for dinner or not.

This is really so easy that it hardly qualifies as a recipe but it’s simply too delicious to keep to myself.  We bringing carrots to my mother’s every year for Thanksgiving dinner and will continue the tradition this Sunday.

1. Send the two year old out into the yard to pick some different coloured carrots and beets.  Going to the farmers market to get some heirloom root veggies will also suffice.

2. Preheat your oven to 425.

Wash your carrots and beets.  I cut the greens off but leave a little at the top just because I think it looks good.  I cut the really long tails off the beets  because they will burn otherwise and then cut them all in half length wise.

3. Coat everything in olive oil, add a little salt.  Then roast them in the oven at 425 for 40 minutes.

4. Let everything cool down for a few minutes, then crumble feta on to your veggies and add a hardy handful of mint leaves.   Toss and serve out of your favorite vintage bowl.  I think they look nice in this plaid one.

These are tasty when hot but are also great as a room temperature salad so no hurry to get everything done at the right time. 

5. Give thanks for the vegetable gardens and the small children that tend to them.

Peach Lemonade For Alanna {or When Peaches & Lemons Combine}

So we spent 7 hours on Tuesday turning 1 bushel of gorgeous, perfect, marvellous Red Haven Ontario peaches from Bizjak Farms into 29 jars of pure canning goodness.  

Then the thirst struck, quickly followed by one of those brief moments of genius, pure peach genius.

What you want to do is take Monday's Real Lemon Lemonade but instead of using the simple syrup,

USE THE LEFTOVER PEACHY SYRUP!  Yes I'm yelling. Take the syrup that has had lovely sliced Ontario peaches soaking in it all day and make lemonade; Peach Lemonade. You know that syrup that's left over in the bottom of the pan.  You'll thank me. Once again, it's even better out of a jar.

If this is as exciting to you as it is to me you'll need to read how Well Preserved cleans their jam jars.  I highly recommend it.

PS Alanna, I'm bringing this to your house tonight. Also we are up too late and  have had waaaay to much sugar.

How to make Real Lemonade. From Scratch.

Sometimes you really need lemonade. Very very badly with what we like to call the thirst of a thousand deserts.


Good thing its really easy to make.

First you need a simple syrup.
Combine:
1/2 cup sugar (we like the white organic stuff that comes in a carton)
1/2 cup of boiling water (out of the kettle)
and stir until sugar had dissolved.

Then combine with:
the juice of 4 lemons.  

Pour over a pitcher of ice then top off with a little cold water to taste.
Garnish with mint.
Stir.

Drink out of a jam jar for added joy.