roasted heirloom carrots

my husband is leaving on another business related trip for the next four days so we spontaneously decided to cook dinner together and create a little date at home! We had a few steaks from Byron Center Meats, a wonderful meat locker that sells the best high quality meats. Our neighbors had generously gifted us with a few steaks, ground chuck, and we hadn't really pulled out the steaks until now.

We decided Nathan would be in charge of the steak and i would put together a starch and a veggie to accompany. It worked well! it was a pleasant gift to have nathan in the kitchen with me for a change, he usually leaves the honor to me and willingly takes clean up duty. He was busy seasoning steak and i was peeling and chopping potatoes. He would leave periodically to monitor our three children who were flailing around with the wii playing bowling rather terribly.

i cut the heirloom carrots in half and placed them on a flat baking sheet. i was drizzling them with olive oil and nathan would come back grilling onions and garlic in my new cast iron skillet- i was glad it was getting seasoned along the way, our house smelled heavenly!

Everything came along together well and i think i really enjoyed the art of preparing something so simple as
dinner together with my husband. i wish we could do it more often!

I set the table with a little more thought than i normally do, actually putting down cloth, setting out wine glasses and napkins-because c'mon who has time for all of that with three kiddos? not this mom!


I fortunately was able to in between all of our prepping and preparing, throw some macaroni and cheese in a pot for the kids because they probably wouldn't want what we were eating anyways, and it would give us a chance to eat together un
interrupted-or at least less uninterrupted..

We pulled a red from our tiny wine collection, deciding on a 2008 Merlot from Darcy Kent, a winery i have visited with nate's folks and with which they sent me home with a bottle. It paired perfectly with our meal.

So, all this to say, cooking with your spouse in the kitchen is something i would encourage trying, it is a playful, fun way to create intimacy and joy between the two of you and there is just something about the two of you, sleeves rolled up, creating something delicious together.

here is now my simple recipe for the roasted veggies. they are so beautiful in color, i didn't want to mess with them too much.

you'll need:
4-6 heirloom carrots, peeled and cut down the middle
olive oil
salt
pepper
crushed rosemary

method:
preheat oven to 400 degrees.

on a flat baking sheet, cover with aluminum foil to make clean up easier.

lay carrots cut side up on the sheet, giving room for everyone to fit without being to crowded.

drizzle with olive oil.

sprinkle salt and cracked pepper.

take about a tablespoon of rosemary sprigs and crush the leaves in your hands, then sprinkle all over carrots.

pop in oven for about 20-25 minutes.

serve.

*in picture, you'll notice a few whole garlic cloves. i threw those in there using the garlic nathan had grilled with the onions. that is optional:)

enjoy!