To Be Served on an Octagonal Plate

I wish I was clever enough to come-up with the title to this post, but I have to attribute it to Will. I was very proud to have made a dinner this week of all vegetables - it wasn't vegetarian (I used some prosciutto), which I frequently do - but it was all vegetables. Will is typically a bit skeptical of days where meat isn't the main dish, but he got into the fun of this experiment with me, and said, "These should really be served on octagonal plates." In response to my quizzical gaze, he said with a big grin, "Because it's all sides."

The only way I could disagree with him would be to reply that "It's all mains." I thought (and Will almost agreed) that each of these vegetable dishes was yummy enough to be the centerpiece of the meal. Together, the three made a delightful fall palette and a nutritionally-balanced repast.

My apologies there's no photo; unlike a perfectly-iced cake or a stack of just-baked cookies, when you're vegetables are ready, you don't want to fuss around photographing them, you want to eat them!

Roasted Ginger-Pomegranate Carrots
serves 2

2 full-size carrots, cut crosswise into thirds, then lengthwise into quarters for carrot "sticks"
1/4" thick slice of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon butter, cut into tiny pieces
2-3 teaspoons pomegrante glaze
dash of cloves
salt to taste

Toss carrots with remaining ingredients and spread evenly in 8x8 in glass or ceramic baking dish.  Roast at 425 for about 20 minutes until tender-crisp, stirring twice during baking to keep sticks coated in glaze.

Roasted Asparagus with Radishes
serves 2

12-16 spears asparagus, ends trimmed, and cut crosswise into 1-2" lengths
2-3 small radishes, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 slice prosciutto, minced (optional, but if omitted, replace with 1 teaspoon olive oil)

Toss ingredients together. Layer in glass baking dish. Bake at 425 for 8-10 minutes, until vegetables are tender, and prociutto is crisp. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon grated hard cheese (such as parmesan) and return to oven until cheese is bubbling, about 2 minutes more.

Japanese Sweet Potato
I'd never purchased - or really even realized their existence - Japanese Sweet Potato, but it was fabulous. I simply cut into wedges, tossed with olive oil and salt, and roasted at 425 for about 30 minutes. Really really delicious stand alone.
Here was a good article I found about them: http://www.culinate.com/articles/produce_diaries/sweet_potatoes