When I was a kid my nanny, RoRo (really more like another grandmother to me), would boil carrots down in sugar and butter. That was the only way we would eat carrots and I can still remember exactly how they tasted (I’m actually drooling a little on the keyboard). Now raising a child in a more health conscious society, carrots with a pound of sugar and butter will probably never see daylight on my table.

Cooking is always a learning experience even when making something as simple as baby food. It was then that I realized that when you roast fruits and vegetables it naturally enhances its sugar for a richer flavor. Needless to say, if we’re not eating our veggies raw they are going in the oven.

Roasted carrots and radishes with dill is a delectably sweet and earthy side dish that will accompany almost any meal (we served ours with one of our family favorite meals, Chicken Paillard from Tyler Florence’s Family Meal). What was Mia the resident almost 3 year old’s verdict on this one you ask? She ate 4 whole carrots and a half of a radish and she’s not a big fan of carrots. We’ll have to work on the whole cooked radish thing with her but the husband and I had seconds of ours.

Roasted Carrots and Radishes with Dill serves 4

• 1 bunch of carrots (8 to 10 carrots)
• 1 bunch of radishes (7 to 10 radishes)
• 1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked pepper
• 2 Tbs fresh dill, chopped