A champion of vegetable cookery for more than 25 years, Andrea Chesman has written more than a dozen cookbooks that celebrate fresh food cuisine. When it comes to autumn's best root vegetables like parsnips, rutabagas, and sweet potatoes, Chesman thinks roasting is the best way to go.

"The dry heat of roasting coaxes out and concentrates flavors," Chesman says. "With parsnips, roasting brings out sweet, nutty flavors and aromas that otherwise would not exist." Roasted rutabaga melts in your mouth like butter, and a pan of Herb-Roasted Root Vegetables (recipe below) will transport easily and hold up well on a buffet table.

Chesman includes this recipe among 14 "Master Recipes" in Serving Up the Harvest: Celebrating the Goodness of Fresh Vegetables (Storey, 2007). As with the other master recipes in the book, you can vary the mix of vegetables, using what you have on hand. It's the method that counts, which in this case involves roasting in a hot oven until the vegetables are brown and tender.

If you don't have carrots or sweet potatoes, substitute cubes of winter squash for savory-sweet flavor and bright orange color. "It has similar cooking properties and works well with root vegetables," Chesman says. In addition to sharing the recipe for Herb-Roasted Root Vegetables below, Chesman offers these tips for roasting goodies from your garden:

* To prepare vegetables for roasting, cut into uniform-size pieces and slick with oil. Use a lightly oiled sheet pan or shallow roasting pan for good air circulation. Crowded vegetables will steam rather than roast.

* To ensure even browning, flip the vegetables with a spatula once or twice during roasting.

* Roasted root vegetables are beautiful; roasted green vegetables are equally delicious but somewhat less than beautiful.

* Make plenty, because vegetables shrink as they roast. Use leftovers in salads, omelets, quiches, and other quick-fix dishes. 

Herb-Roasted Root Vegetables

Serves 4 to 6

3 to 4 pounds (8 to 10 cups) mixed root vegetables or winter squash, such as beets, carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, turnips, and potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 large onion, peeled and cut into eighths, or 1 cup peeled pearl onions or shallots

6 cloves garlic, peeled

3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsp fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, alone or in any combination, chopped

Coarse sea salt or kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease a large sheet pan with oil.

2. Combine the mixed vegetables, onions or shallots, and garlic in a large bowl. Add the oil, herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Transfer the vegetables to the pan and spread out in a single shallow layer.

3. Roast 40 minutes to 1 hour, or until the vegetables are slightly browned and tender, turning with a spatula twice for even cooking.

4. Transfer to a serving platter, taste, and add more salt and pepper if desired. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

Adapted from Serving Up the Harvest: Celebrating the Goodness of Fresh Vegetables (Storey, 2007), by Andrea Chesman. If you can't get enough roasted vegetables, check out Chesman's The Roasted Vegetable (Harvard Common Press, 2002).

Are some roasted veggie/herb combos so great everyone should try them? Share your best ideas for a veggie roast-a-rama in the comments section below!

Hey pumpkin carvers: Stop. Wait. Don't waste all those yummy seeds! (Happy Halloween, by the way.) You can save those seeds from ending up in the garbage can with 4 easy steps:

1. SOAK THE SEEDS in water for a few hours. Fill a bowl with water, drop in the seeds and rub them between your fingers to start loosening up any attached pulp. Don't worry about getting every last bit off, because soaking them for a while makes it easier to rub all the pumpkin-ey pulp off later.

2. DRY THE SEEDS on a towel for a few hours, or until they are dry to the touch.

3. SEASON THOSE SEEDS with whatever's on-hand and sounds yummy. Sweet and savory both work well — be creative. (Our friend Kim Wallace, over at Natural Home magazine has a step-by-step recipe for sweet cinnamon-n-sugar pumpkin seeds.) Using a little bit of honey or oil will add flavor and help herbs and spices stick well. For the pumpkin seeds I made as a salad topping (see below), I tossed the dried seeds in extra-virgin olive oil (Global Gardens 2007 Harvest first cold press, a wonderfully fruity and aromatic premium olive oil) and Maine Coast Sea Vegetables organic kelp with cayenne pepper blend (one of my long-standing favorite seasoning blends).

4. ROAST THE SEEDS in a 300-degree-Fahrenheit oven for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them: They'll be done when they're golden to light brown.

Crunchy seaweed- and cayenne-spiced roasted pumpkin seeds make a fabulous topping for a fresh arugula salad, and counterbalance the sweetness of crispy cucumber and pear slices.

More pumpkin know-how: Grilled Pumpkin with Rosemary and Sea Salt * Pumpkins Make any Dish a Smashing Hit * 7 Great Pumpkin Carving Tips * Wacky and Wonderful Halloween Pumpkin Designs * Three Phunky Pumpkins * The Great Pumpkin * The Great American Pumpkin * Make a Jack-'O-Lantern ... And Eat Pumpkin Pie, Too! * About Pumpkins * Beer America TV Pops the Top on a Pumpkin Lager 

Roasting garlic is incredibly easy. And you can use the soft, mild and nutty cloves in so many different ways. Stir it into soft cheeses and soups, or mash it into soft butter to up the garlic ante. Or simply spread a whole roasted clove over a piece of toasted bread. If you really love garlic, just pop a freshly roasted clove into your mouth all by itself — you won't be disappointed! Here's how to do it right:

1. Take an entire head of garlic and peel away the outer layers of paper. You don't need to remove the skin that clings to each clove; just peel off the paper that falls away easily.

2. Lay the head of garlic on its side, and chop off about a quarter inch from the top. You want to see at least a sliver of the naked skin of each clove.

3. Set the head of garlic on a piece of aluminum foil (about 4-by-4 inches); or place on the tray of your fancy-schmancy terra cotta garlic baker. Drizzle something yummy over the top. Yummy things might include olive oil, hazelnut oil, sesame oil, veggie stock or free-range chicken broth (2 tablespoons should be plenty).

4. Pinch the foil around the top to cinch the garlic-shaped package, or put the lid on your supersnazzy garlic baker.

5. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes, or until your garlic is sooooooooo delicious. You will know it is sooooooooo delicious when your home smells absolutely incredible and the cloves are soft, squishy and golden brown.

6. To release the cloves, simply squeeze each one and watch the perfectly roasted clove slip right out of its paper. Warning: Your hands will get a little greasy.