This is one of my absolute favorite vegetable dishes ever — I look forward to making it several times each winter. It’s earthy and flavorful and gets a delicious glazed effect from the butter and chicken stock combining with the natural sweetness of the veggies. It works perfectly well with vegetable stock, too! Like many of my “recipes,” it’s really more of a suggestion — so feel free to substitute veggies at will.

There have been many times that I’ve made a meal of these, but they pair beautifully with just about any main — roasted chicken, pork chops, tossed with pasta, as a topping for risotto, or just about anything else. And I love an earthy Southern Rhone red to go with. Here’s the “recipe” and a couple of options — at very different prices.

For four people, you’ll need 2-3 pounds of assorted root vegetables. We used a couple of carrots, a sweet potato, a white potato, 4-5 pearl onions, and a turnip. Preheat oven to 350F. Melt about a half stick (4 tablespoons) of unsalted butter in a roasting pan by popping it in the oven while preheating.

Chop all your veggies in about 3/4″ pieces. (Since the different vegetables cook at slightly different rates, this gives some variation in texture that I like.) When butter is melted, turn vegetables into pan. Pour over about 1/4 cup chicken stock. Season with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Stir well.

Roast for 60-90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until veggies are done to your liking and starting to turn golden. Remove from oven and sprinkle with a handful of finely chopped fresh herbs of your choosing (I tend to go for rosemary and Italian parsley). Serve and enjoy!

Maison Bouachon 2006 Chateauneuf-du-Pape ‘La Tiare du Pape’ ($39). Dusty blackberry and currant are muscular and rich, picking up mineral, pepper and just a touch of toast on the long finish. Ready to drink now and over the next 6-8 years. Locate this wine online or in your area.

Maison Bouachon 2006 Cotes du Rhone Les Rabassieres ($15). Loved it — great value, too. Aromatic earth and tobacco accent layers of red berry and dried black currant, with a long, fresh finish. Ready to drink now and over the next couple of years. Locate this wine online or in your area.