Spring is here and it is time to use up the last of my home-grown organic butternut squash.  Carrots and sweet potatoes round out the lineup of the three orange vegetables.

The vegetables were tested three different ways – open roasting, inside a foil packet and cooked in parchment paper (also known in French and as en papillote or al cartoccio in Italian).

All were cooked in a convection oven.  The difference between a convection oven and a conventional oven is the addition of a fan.  With the fan operating, the cooking time and/or temperature can be lowered.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound each: butternut squash, carrots and sweet potatoes peeled and cut in 1 inch pieces
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• ¼ cup pecan pieces
• 1 -2 Tablespoons of liquid consisting of a combination of any of these:  water, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, orange juice, orange juice concentrate, maple syrup
• 1 large pinch salt or to taste
• 1 pinch freshly ground pepper

Method:

• Prepare the vegetable and placed in a bowl and add other ingredients and mix (or do all this directly on the cooking surface of choice to reduce dishwashing).
• This dish can be open roasted or put in foil or parchment paper packet (easiest cut in a moon or  heart shape with the paper folds starting at the fat top of the heart and close to the vegetables).

Place vegetables in a single layer on the chosen food holder. In a pre-heated oven, cook for 50-60 min on 350F in a conventional oven or at 300F in a convection oven.

For a dryer texture, open roast on a sheet pan.  For a more “steamy” mouthfeel, cook  in a foil or parchment paper packet. The veggies should be fork tender at the end of cooking time.