Autumn Roasted Vegetable Medley with Apples and Pecans

Still round the corner there may wait, a new road or a secret gate. 
by J.R.R. Tolkien
Autumn Roasted Veggies with Apples and Pecans

Cook's notes: This colorful side dish has the perfect blend of sweet and savory. It's easy, delicious and healthy. I recommend using one sweet and one tart apple for this. I used a Honey Crisp and a Granny Smith but Braeburn, Cortland or Jonathon would work too. 

Recipe adapted from cookingclassy.com  and serves 4-5

Ingredients:

• 16 0z. Brussels sprouts, bottoms trimmed, halved(discard loose leaves) 
• 1/2 red onion. diced into small chunks
• 2 TB. melted butter, Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Lemon Olive Oil
• 2-3 cups butternut squash cubes (diced into 3/4 inch pieces) or sweet potatoes, diced 
• 2 medium crisp apples, peeled and diced into chunks
• 2 TB brown  sugar, packed
• 1/2 tsp. Saigon cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. apple pie spice
• dash of nutmeg
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp. each thyme and rosemary
• 2/3 cup roughly chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl add oil or butter, brown sugar and spices.
• Add in halved Brussels sprouts, red onion chunks, squash cubes and diced apples. Mix well.
• Spread veggies evenly on a baking sheet. Total baking time 40 minutes or until Brussels sprouts and squash are tender but not mushy. Last 5 minutes of baking time add in cranberries and pecans.  

Autumn Ablaze 

by Sue Ready

The season starts with a slow burn
as feathery grasses turn buff
and Tamaracks a mustard yellow.

A red- tailed hawk soars above
carpets of persimmon and bittersweet,
Monarch butterflies mob
a burnished bush.

Geese veer so low
you can hear
beating of their wings
as they swoop the lake.

A crackling bonfire
releases clouds of red-orange sparks
flying into the cold night sky
our laughter fades into
contented silence
as embers flicker
and smolder.

Autumn stretches ahead
like a winding country road
with maples and sumacs
bursting into flames
autumn is ablaze.