Glazed Vegetables

This is the workhorse root vegetable side that pulls a Thanksgiving plate together, four orange-and-cream-colored vegetables tumbled in a sweet-tart glaze that caramelizes in the oven into something far better than the parts.

The two-stage cooking is the technique. Boiling the cubed turnip, rutabaga, sweet potato, and winter squash separately first softens them through, so when they hit the oven they only need 20 minutes to take on color and absorb the glaze.

Apple cider vinegar in the glaze is what keeps this from veering into candied-sweet-potato territory. The vinegar cuts the brown sugar and dark corn syrup so the dish reads sweet but balanced, with a quiet warmth from the ground ginger.

Toasted walnuts sprinkled at the end give every bite a buttery crunch against the soft glazed roots.

Pro Tips

• Cut all the vegetables to roughly the same size cube so they cook evenly
• Drain the boiled vegetables really well, wet vegetables steam in the oven instead of glazing
• Baste two or three times during the bake, this is what builds the lacquered surface
• Toast the walnuts in a dry pan until they smell nutty, raw walnuts taste flat and dusty

Variations

• Swap dark corn syrup for maple syrup for a more rounded sweetness
• Add cubed parsnips or carrots to the mix for more variety
• Use pecans or hazelnuts in place of walnuts for a different finishing crunch