Smoky Roasted Vegetables

1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes

1 large red onion, cut into ½-inch wedges

1 pound zucchini, cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices

3 poblano chili peppers, stemmed, seeded, cut in half lengthwise, then cut into 1-inch-thick slices

1 pound carrots, trimmed, peeled and cut into ½-inch-thick slices

1 pound parsnips, trimmed, peeled (cored if they are big) and cut into ½-inch-thick slices

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

6 medium cloves garlic, cut into thin slices

1 tablespoon ground ancho chili pepper

1 teaspoon hot Spanish smoked paprika

Kosher or sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Position oven racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 425 degrees. Have 2 large rimmed baking sheets at hand.

Combine the sweet potatoes, onion, zucchini, poblanos, carrots and parsnips in a large mixing bowl; toss with the oil, garlic, ground ancho and smoked Spanish paprika. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the mixture between the baking sheets, spreading it in a single layer. Roast for about 30 minutes, stirring and tossing every 10 minutes or so.

Use in the related recipes, or allow to cool, then store as desired.

Makes about 12 cups.

Cook’s notes: Consider this a mere guideline, and feel free to substitute whatever vegetables you like most or look best in the market or grocery store. To get the vegetables to cook at more or less the same rate, cut the quick-cooking ones (such as zucchini) into bigger pieces and the longer-cooking ones (such as carrots) into smaller ones. But don’t sweat this: Part of the appeal of the recipe is that some of the vegetables end up softer than others, making for nice textural variation.

Make ahead: The roasted vegetables can be refrigerated for up to a week or frozen, preferably in freezer-safe plastic food storage bags, for several months.

@Recipe nutrition:Nutrition values per 1-cup serving: 140 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated), 22 g carbohydrates, 5 g fiber, 2 g protein, 0 cholesterol, 80 mg sodium.

Adapted from “The Sunset Cookbook” (2010 Oxmoor House)