Community Dinner

I live in an intentional community with six other members as part of a volunteer program. Community dinners are an interesting part of living in community. We have a huge whiteboard in the stairwell near the shared kitchen that contains a crazy schedule that anyone outside of the community would probably think was a secret code. I guess it kind of is.

According to the secret code, last night was my night to cook with one of my other community members and we were both very much in the mood for something vegetable-y. We were craving spring food. We decided that most of the week's vegetables left in the fridge needed to be used and this is what we came up with. It easily fed a ravenous group of seven living on meager wages, so cut it down for the amount of people you are feeding.

Roasted Veggie Stew

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Chop any combination of the following veggies (or whatever you have on hand) into large chunks: 5 potatoes, 2 bell peppers, 1 onion, 2 heads broccoli, 10 button mushrooms. Mince 3 cloves of garlic.

Pour about 1/4 cup of olive or vegetable oil into a very large bowl. Add salt and pepper and your favorite seasonings (we used oregano, basil, and red pepper flakes, but I think it would also be great with rosemary, thyme, tarragon, or parsley). I didn't measure my seasonings, but I'd estimate that I used about a 1/2 teaspoon of each. Add your veggies to the bowl and mix until everything is evenly coated with oil.

Spread your veggies out onto cookie sheets and roast in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes.

When they are almost done roasting, get a large dutch oven or soup pot out and start heating it up on the stove. Add about 3 cups of water or chicken or vegetable broth to the pot and heat to boiling. Add one 12 oz. box of short pasta (we used bowties). Add 3-4 cups of diced tomatoes (we used fresh, but canned would work just as well). Take the roasted veggies out of the oven and add to the pot. Add one small can of tomato sauce. Let everything simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally. Taste, adjust seasonings, and serve.