Side Dishes

4 large Spanish onions
Olive oil (for sprinkling)
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme

1. Set the oven at 400 degrees. Have on hand a 12-inch baking dish.

2. Peel the onions, leaving the pointed ends and roots intact. Cut the onions into 1/2-inch wedges. Arrange them in the baking dish so they fit snugly, cut sides up. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Cover loosely with foil. Roast the onions for 30 minutes. Remove the foil. (Prepare ahead 1 day up to this point; cool, cover, and refrigerate.)

Roasted carrots are a colorful side dish; here they’re accompanied by a bright parsley vinaigrette. The recipe comes from chefs Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier, co-owners of Summer Winter in Burlington and Arrows and MC Perkins Cove in Ogunquit, Maine, who use carrots dug from their own gardens.

A little sweetness brings out the best in roasted Brussels sprouts. Cook them with bacon and maple syrup until the sprouts are tender and the bacon has rendered its fat and turns crisp and golden. It’s true, everything’s better with bacon.