Roasted Root Vegetable Panzanella with Pickled Carrots

 Souk el Tayeb (Beirut's weekly farmers' market) really comes into its' own once the summer heat and humidity lifts a bit!  I was inspired this week by the color and smells at the market this past weekend and am here with another quick recipe today to help you shake up your ho-hum salad routine and welcome October (my favorite month).This recipe has welcome crunch from the rye croutons, sourness from the pickled carrots, and warmth from the variety of roasted roots. And if you only take one thing from this recipe, please, please massage your kale! It's the step that takes kale-doubters and turns them into lovers. And, the pickles are important. Well, I think pickles are always important as they lift dishes and make them interesting (add them to your avocado toast!)...plus they offer amazing health benefits.Roasted Root Vegetable Panzanella with Pickled Carrotsserves 4Massaged Kale:

100g shredded Tuscan (black) kale10g olive oil10g. freshly squeezed lemon juice5g sea salt

For roasted root veggies:

900g A variety of vegetables suitable for roasting:– sweet potato– golden & red beets– kohlrabi– turnips-- pumpkin– Brussels sprouts– celeriac– butternut squash– purple potatoes– Jerusalem artichoke– cauliflower

Preheat oven to 200°C.,  Chop vegetables into similar sized pieces and place on a baking sheet with a olive oil and salt.. Bake for 25-35 minutes, depending on the size of your veggies.

While the veggies are roasting, prepare the kale. Place in a large bowl and dress with olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt. Vigorously massage the oil and juice into the greens for two whole minutes until they are tender and dark green. Season to taste.To assemble salad, Top the greens with the roasted veggies, add as many pickled carrots as you like, drizzle the dressing over and toss. Top with croutons and serve.

Overnight Ginger-Pickled Carrots

300g carrots250ml apple cider vinegar250ml water (or more if needed)25g pure maple syrup7g fine grain sea salt10g ginger peeled and sliced

Scrub carrots well. Using a vegetable peeler, slice the carrots lengthwise into long, thing ribbons. Place into a 1 liter glass container.In a measuring cup combine the vinegar, water, maple syrup, salt and ginger, and stir to dissolve the salt. Pour over the carrots and top up with more water as needed to cover them completely. Place in the fridge for 24 hours and enjoy the next day.

Grainy Mustard Dressing30g olive oil10g apple cider vinegar20g whole grain mustard5g maple syrupgenerous pinch of sea salt

Whisk all ingredients together. Season to taste.

Rye Bread Croutons200g stale dark bread, cut into slices20g olive oilsalt

Spread out bread slices on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with salt and oil and place in 200 degree oven. Toast for 10-15 minutes, tossing a couple times during cooking. Croutons are ready when they are crisp and golden around the edges.