Soba Noodles with Roasted Roots

Roasting the roots intensifies their flavor and is practically all you have to do to make this delicious dish. The cinnamon is a great match for the root flavors. Return to your roots: Would you like to eat the roasted root veggies all by themselves? Go right ahead and snack on them; they are fantastic. Or serve them with roast turkey or chicken. I trust my book amply bears this out: I am crazy about all roots, and why not? Lean, delicious, versatile, incred- ibly nutritious—how can you miss? I run home with all roots—no matter how misshapen and grimy and odd- looking—I find at the market, the way people bring home cast-off, disheveled animals and by dint of love and attention groom them into perfectly domesticated pets. Roots always make me think of the universal line in Psalm 118:23: “Even maasu habonim haita lerosh pina,” which translates as “The stone that the builders discarded has become the cornerstone.” Yes, even humble roots are involved in thrilling rags-to-riches stories!