roasted root veggies with goat cheese

One of my favorite compliments I've ever gotten was:
Well, you made it, so I tried it! This is yummy! What's in it?

Then I go on to list an assortment of root vegetables that many people have never tried topped with goat cheese which apparently sounds a little sketchy, but it comes together in a way that is tasty and warm and filling.

Sweet potatoes: everyone's had these before, right? Usually at Thanksgiving and sickly sweet, topped with marshmallows. [not my fave] I love the natural sweetness of the sweet potato with the subtle spice of a little red pepper. You can even find them in a variety of colors. Rutabaga: it looks like a large round dirt ball at the grocery. YUM. Just try it! Turnip: this always reminds me of a giant radish...at least in looks. Parsnip: this looks like a white carrot at the grocery store. The textures of all the different vegetables is delightful.

Of course, when asked for the recipe I basically just shrugged and said "roast some veggies and top it with goat cheese." BOOM. Done.

Apparently that wasn't detailed enough, so I attempted to measure things. Feel free to use this as a jumping of place and to just dice and drizzle and sprinkle the ingredients. Then roast them off in a hot oven. Dump them in a 9x13 pan. Sprinkle the roasted veggies with goat cheese and pop it back into the oven until it browns a bit.

If you want more details, they're below. (-:

Gratuitous picture because I love my Pyrex.

At this point, wash your hands well and toss everything until all the pieces of veggies are coated in the seasonings. Then spread them on a couple of sheet pans so they have enough room to breathe. If you overcrowd any veggie you're trying to roast, they end up steaming rather than roasting. You can get color on them, but it takes so much longer.

Sweet delicious roasted root vegetables. Get in mah belly.

Roasted Root Vegetables with Goat Cheese
Preheat your oven to 425*

-Parsnips
-Turnip
-Rutabaga
-Sweet Potatoes
-1 medium Onion
You can really use any root veggie you want, I recommend peeling and dicing them up into small enough pieces that you can get 2-3 on a fork at a time. The melding of flavors will make you happy. Promise.

-1/3 cup Olive Oil
-3 tsp Salt
-1 tsp Pepper
-1 tsp Garlic Powder
-1 tsp Onion Powder
-1 tsp Cumin
-1/4 tsp Ground Red Pepper (optional)
In another container, combine the above. My normal roasting method is to spread the veggies on my sheet pan and then drizzle them with olive oil, sprinkle on the seasonings, and toss them directly on the pan to coat them. Either method will work!

-Goat Cheese! (either crumbles or a log)
In your preheated oven, place the pans in to start the roasting process. After 10-15 minutes give them a stir. In another 15-20 minutes your veggies should be tender to a fork with some beautiful golden edges. At this point dump them in a 9x13 pan and top it with a container of goat cheese (or a crumbled log). Place the 9x13 back in the oven under the broiler and keep a close eye until the goat cheese starts to turn brown.

I recently started a compost pile because I make so much compostable trash. Does anyone compost? Tips? Tricks?