I don’t want to alarm anyone, but I made up a recipe as I went along last night, and it was so good that I had to share it right away.

This week’s CSA box was full of autumnal goodness, and I’d casually decided to roast some of it and serve it over rice (as I do most weeks because creativity is not always my strong suit).

Naturally, I didn’t take any Pinterest-worthy pics of the ingredients grouped together or the step-by-step process, but it was all so easy and mindless that I think you can handle it, gentle reader. I did manage to snap this little gem before I ate an embarrassing amount.

It’s vegan and gluten-free. I don’t know who I am anymore either.

Ingredients:

• 1 small pumpkin
• 3 sweet potatoes
• 3 small squash
• 1 red onion
• 1 pepper (optional, happened to be in the box)
• 2 ears of corn OR 1 can of corn (no judgment here)
• 1 can of chickpeas
• olive oil
• maple syrup
• half teaspoon of cumin seeds
• tablespoon of dried thyme
• dash of paprika
• salt & pepper

Recipe:

Chop up the first 4 ingredients into roughly 1 inch chunks and toss into roasting pan. Dice the pepper and add that, too. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to coat.

Drizzle the maple syrup over the top. If you don’t want it too sweet, add just a little, maybe 1/8 c. That’s about how much I used, and it was just enough to have a little sweetness without being overpowering. If you know you love sweet flavors with pumpkin and squash, add a bit more.

Add the spices, then roast at 400 degrees for about 30 minutes (check for tenderness based on your preferences).

I roasted the 2 ears of corn with the husks still on, then added the kernels to the roasting pan when there were about 5 minutes left in cooking time, just to warm them up. That’s when I added the chickpeas, too (drained). If you’re using canned corn and chickpeas, drain them and add when there are about 5 minutes left so they can warm through.

Serve over rice.

Optional: I think this dish would be delightful with a handful of pumpkin seeds or served with a nice, crisp salad. It would also be easy to amp up the spice if served with red pepper flakes.

This dish was such a nice segue into fall flavors. Let’s just ignore the fact that I could’ve roasted the vegetables in my driveway, okay? ; )