cast iron roast vegetables

Rosie Assoulin shared the story behind one of her favorite dishes, a roast branzino with vegetables, with the New York Times for their “One Good Meal” column. We’ve made the full dish several times at this point, but even if I’m not in the mood for fish, I’ll end up cooking just the vegetable portion.

What makes the vegetable portion so interesting (and ultimately tasty) in my opinion is the combination of water heavy vegetables like squash and tomatoes with the salty capers and olives and the crispness of potatoes. This is certainly a recipe where the sum is greater than the parts.

Ingredients

• 1 handful herbs (I like thyme, but rosemary is also great)
• 1-2 lbs of potatoes, sliced thin (typically I like using a mandolin, though half wise can work too)
• 1-2 squash / zucchini sliced (I like using a mandolin)
• 1/2 - 1 pint of tomatoes (cherry preferred, but I’ve also tried roma and Brandywine and Hillbilly heirlooms)
• 2 handful Kalamata olives (Rosie likes pits in, I prefer pitted)
• 2 tablespoons (or a healthy amount of) capers
• 5+ cloves of whole garlic (Rosie prefers skin on, which is a labor savor, but I’ve normally skinned them)
• Paprika to taste (optional, though better if present)
• Aleppo pepper to taste (optional, though better if present)
• Olive oil

Instructions

• Mix potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl
• Arrange potatoes on a cast iron skillet or baking sheet and roast in oven at 420°F for ~15-20 minutes (This is a deviation I’ve made from the original recipe which allows the potatoes a little longer to cook relative to the tomatoes, squash, etc.)
• While potatoes are roasting, mix remaining ingredients with olive oil, salt, pepper, and spices
• Remove potatoes from the oven, combine with remaining vegetable mixture then return skillet to oven for ~15-20 more minutes (total roasting time should be ~30-40 minutes)