Just the other night friends came to dinner and I roasted carrots and turnips; often I roast new potatoes with shallots and wedges of fennel. Or under a big roasted chicken: fennel, onions, kalamata. You will see me lube up squash with olive oil, cut beets into uniform chunks and find thyme and fancy salts to sprinkle all over tomatoes, cauliflower or long, thick wedges of rustic potatoes. In summer I turn off my oven and turn on the grill—and then it is one big oil-lubing, salt-smattering veggie fest once again. But fall will always mean piles of just-roasted sweet potatoes, perfect alone or with cheeses and a smattering of herbs.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Blue Cheese serves 4.

2-3 Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch chunks 2-3 T olive oil or enough to just coat 1 T chopped, fresh rosemary 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper Kosher salt & coarse pepper (KS&CP) 2 tsp brown sugar 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

Place potatoes on cookie sheet or in baking dish, aiming for a single layer. Lube with olive oil, sprinkle with remaining ingredients. Mix up again if necessary. Roast at 425 for 25 minutes or 375 for 35 minutes---depending on your timing/oven needs (stir once if you remember). Remove from oven, sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles and serve.