Spring Vegetable Roast

One of my dearest friends has a propensity for eating plain lemons. This is one of the first things I discovered during our fledgling friendship. We were twelve, with mothers who shared a disapproval of soda. They took us out to lunch, and after the waiter arrived with our water glasses, my friend took the lemon wedge from its secure perch on the rim and stripped the flesh clear off, chewing without a wince. Not to be outdone, I followed suit. After a period of acclimation, the habit stuck. Although I do wince as I swallow the tangy segments.

I don't know how widespread this lemon-eating tendency is among the general population, but this recipe encourages and requires some substantial lemon consumption. For anyone less inclined toward tart foods, not to worry: it uses Meyer lemons. Meyer lemons have a much sweeter taste and muted sourness, rather akin to an over-sized kumquat. Roasted to a near char, they are accompanied by cheery orange carrot chunks and lean stalks of asparagus.

I normally associate roasted vegetables with the autumn season and the rusty shades of squash and mushrooms. This recipe, in fact, modifies a root vegetable and lemon roast.  I made the dish for a long-postponed dinner party, modifying the menu to reflect the shift to spring. I filled the pan with bright vegetables, keeping the sunny wheels of lemon, but swapping out the turnips and beets for a medley of green asparagus shoots and carrots. Nuggets of velvety, roasted garlic nestle in with the vegetables and citrus, all dusted with thyme and tarragon. You might chop any leftovers into bite-sized pieces and make a salad, using cold pasta or greens as the foundation.

Adapted from Fine Cooking's Roasted Root Vegetables with Meyer Lemon
Spring Vegetable Roast
Ingredients:
4 Meyer lemons
1 1/2 lb carrots (about 8 large)
1 bunch asparagus
1/2 of a garlic bulb, cloves peeled
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp. dried thyme
2 tsp. dried tarragon
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground pepper

Directions:
--Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. 
--Cut lemons into 1/2 inch slices. Cut carrots on the diagonal into pieces about 1-inch thick. Snap off asparagus ends by bending and letting them naturally break in two.
--Pour olive oil into a 9x13 inch glass pan. Add lemons, vegetables and garlic to pan. Sprinkle herbs, salt, and pepper over vegetables, and stir together to fully coat the vegetables with the oil and herbs.
--Roast vegetables until carrots are fork tender and lemons are slightly charred, 45-50 minutes.