You've got a bundle of celery in the back of your crisper drawer. (Go check. You do.) This is what you should do with it.

Merrill's baby Clara is finally old enough to eat solid foods. Armed with her greenmarket bag, a wooden spoon and a minimal amount of fuss, Merrill steps into the fray.

Today: Roasted root vegetables -- a perfect side or snack.

Deborah Madison's new book, Vegetable Literacy, sheds light on the relationships within families of vegetables, and shows us how to capitalize on those ties in our cooking.

From winter to spring to fall, most of our favorite vegetables -- potatoes, asparagus, squash, radishes -- can be dressed up by just a hot oven, a drizzle of oil, and a sprinkle of salt. Commit these steps to memory, and you'll be roasting everything in sight.

This is the kind of meal that leaves you feeling particularly virtuous, that you'll want to brag about (subtly, of course) at the office tomorrow.

Take some advice from mother.