In the summer, you’ve gotta love your outdoor grill. Cold drink in one hand, tongs in the other, the scent of steak wafting from the Weber — it doesn’t get much better than that. But, come autumn, aren’t you glad you have an oven, too? With an oven, you can, of course, turn out all manner of breads and cakes and cookies and pies. But you can also braise or roast meats, fish and vegetables. These methods can bring out flavors in a way that high-heat grilling can’t, and, as a bonus, fill your kitchen with wonderful aromas.

Take vegetables, for example. It is perfectly possible to cook vegetables on the grill, but in my experience, roasting them dramatically reduces the risk of burning and also results in much sweeter, more tender and more flavorful veggies. The recipe, below, is from a delightful new book called “Entertaining Simple” by Matthew Mead (Wiley, 2008). This book offers delectable recipes as well as a storehouse of inspiring tips for party themes, flowers, table settings and other decor.

For home entertaining, in fact, nothing beats a dinner produced in the oven. The menu below — vegetables from Mead’s book, a roasted capon (see Cook’s note) and an apple dessert, both from the Williams-Sonoma book “Roasting” (Simon & Schuster, 2002) — can be cooking away while you are sharing cocktails and conversation with your guests. It serves six to eight people, and, because food is roasted in stages, will actually fit in the average home oven.

It’s all in the timing. Put the apples (for the Brown Betty) and the capon in to roast at the same time and at the same temperature (400 F). An hour later, the apples will be done, but the capon will roast on; you can proceed to prepare the Brown Betty. Meanwhile, pop the vegetables in to roast. They will finish about the same time the capon is cooked. When the capon and vegetables come out of the oven, reduce the heat to 375 F and put the Brown Betty in to bake. Voila! All you need to round out this meal is some good bread and a tossed salad. (A dark salad, with spinach or arugula or other spicy greens would complement the sweetness of the mango glaze and the vegetables.)

Cook’s note: Capons are neutered male chickens. They typically weigh five to eight pounds. They are often sold frozen, but they can be found fresh at the holidays.

ROASTED VEGETABLES

1/2 cup olive oil

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pound parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 pound beets, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 onions, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 leeks, white and pale green parts, well rinsed and cut into 1-inch-thick rounds

2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon salt (preferably coarse kosher or sea salt)

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

2 medium zucchini, washed and trimmed and cut into 1/-2-inch-thick rounds

10 cloves garlic, peeled

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Lightly oil a roasting pan with a bit of the olive oil. Toss the potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beets, onions and leeks into the pan. Drizzle the remaining olive oil over the vegetables, add the rosemary, season with the salt and pepper, and toss to coat.

Roast for 30 minutes, stirring twice with a wooden spoon. Add the zucchini and garlic, stir gently, and continue roasting another 30 to 45 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Recipe adapted slightly from “Entertaining Simple” by Matthew Mead (Wiley, 2008)

ROAST CAPON WITH MANGO GLAZE

For the glaze:

2 ripe mangoes, peeled and cubed

1 cup mango juice (available in supermarkets)

For the capon:

canola oil, for pan and for capon

1 (6 to 7 pound) capon, giblets removed (and discarded or saved for another use)

salt and freshly ground pepper

For garnish:

toasted sliced almonds

1 ripe mango

Make the glaze: Combine the mango cubes and juice in a food processor or blender, and pulse to puree. Pour into a small bowl, and set aside until needed.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Lightly oil a roasting pan.

Rinse the capon under cold running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Remove and discard any loose fat. Place the capon, breast side up, in the prepared pan. Using a pastry brush, coat the outside of the capon with canola oil. Season inside and out with salt and a generous amount of pepper.

The capon will take about 2-1/4 to 2-3/4 hours to roast. During the last half hour of baking, brush it at 15-minute intervals with the mango glaze.

The capon will be done when the leg joints can be wiggled easily and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (but not touching the bone) reads 170 F.

Transfer the capon to a carving board, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and let stand for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the remaining mango glaze to a boil for 1 minute. Carve the capon, and arrange on a warmed platter. Garnish with almonds. Peel and dice the mango, and use it for garnish as well. Serve the remaining glaze alongside as a sauce.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Recipe from “Williams-Sonoma Roasting” (Simon & Schuster, 2002)

ROASTED APPLE BROWN BETTY WITH HARD SAUCE

For the hard sauce:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup sifted confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon dark rum or brandy or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

For the Brown Betty:

2-1/2 pounds Golden Delicious or Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 cups dried white breadcrumbs or graham-cracker crumbs

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Make the hard sauce: Beat together the butter, sugar, rum (or brandy or vanilla) and nutmeg in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until just before it is needed.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Toss the apples with the granulated sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, and spoon into a baking pan just large enough to hold them comfortably. Roast, turning twice until fork-tender, about an hour. Drain, reserving the liquid. Let cool. In a food processor, puree the apples, adding the reserved liquid as needed to make a thick applesauce.

Reduce the oven temperature to 375 F. Toss the bread (or graham cracker) crumbs with the melted butter. Sprinkle half the crumbs over the bottom on an 8-inch round or square baking pan. Pour the applesauce over the crumbs, and sprinkle the remaining crumbs on top. Bake for 20 minutes.

To serve, spoon into shallow bowls, and top with the hard sauce or vanilla ice cream.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Recipe from “Williams-Sonoma Roasting” (Simon & Schuster, 2002)

 

Marialisa Calta is the author of “Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family” (Perigee, 2005). For more information, go to www.marialisacalta.com.