Roasted Root Vegetables with Feta and Thyme

Ingredients

• 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1 swede, peeled and cut into chunks
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp garlic granules
• 1 tbsp thyme leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp clear honey
• 130 g feta, crumbled
• 15 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges
• Fine salt and black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). A properly hot oven is what gives you caramelised edges instead of pale, steamed roots.
2. Tip the parsnips, carrots and swede into a large roasting tin and toss with the olive oil. Scatter over the garlic granules and chopped thyme, then season generously with salt and black pepper; root veg are sweet and dense, they need more salt than you think. Spread them out in a single layer; crowd the tin and they'll steam instead of roast.
3. Roast uncovered for 50 minutes to 1 hour, tossing once halfway through, until the edges are deeply caramelised and a knife slides easily into the swede.
4. Pull the tin out and drizzle the honey straight over the hot vegetables. Toss so everything turns glossy and sticky; the residual heat melts the honey into a glaze rather than a puddle.
5. Scatter the crumbled feta across the top and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes, until the feta is softened and just starting to colour at the edges.
6. Taste a parsnip; add salt if needed. The feta brings its own salt, but the roots may still want a pinch.
7. To serve, bring the tin to the table, scatter the fresh parsley straight over the top, and squeeze the lemon wedges over; the acid cuts through the honey and feta and lifts the whole thing.