Daring to do it: Brining and Roasting

Audax always comes up with great challenges.  What makes them so great is that his goal is to teach us methods of cooking and baking which we might otherwise overlook.  This month's challenge was no exception. 

Audax of Audax Artifax was our November 2012 Daring Cooks’ host. Audax has brought us into the world of brining and roasting, where we brined meat and vegetables and roasted them afterwards for a delicious meal!

Brining is not something I had any experience with.  Sadly, I still don't....  See, even though Audax gave us some great recipes, I just felt like brining was very much a way to prepare meats.  I thought about brining vegetables, and even considered breaking into a pumpkin to brine seeds, but it just didn't happen.  Sorry, Aud!
But roasting!  Roasting is something I am very familiar with.  I love the way that roasting brings out a sweetness and fullness of flavor in even the most common of foods.  (If you have never eaten roasted parsnips, please do yourself a favor and try them.  So. Good.)
This month I roasted:
Carrots and yellow squash:

 Potatoes:

 Butternut squash (which made a really yummy soup - I just didn't get any pictures of it!):

 Asparagus:

Thank you, Audax, for teaching us so much, and for all of your encouragement in the Kitchen!
Take a look here if you want to see what the other Cooks created this month!