Roasted Roots

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










I've been playing with variations on this Wolfgang Puck recipe for years. It's a terrific destination root vegetables, and a perfect addition to the Thanksgiving table.

Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 1 hour
Serves: 10 to 12

INGREDIENTS
2-3 large beets
4-5 carrots, peeled and cut into 1” chunks
3 small turnips, peeled and cut into 1” chunks
2 small rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1” chunks
6 to 8 potatoes, scrubbed and and cut into 1” chunks
1 or 2 large parsnips, peeled, trimmed, and cut diagonally into 1-inch-thick slices
1 or 2 medium onions, trimmed, peeled and cut into 1” chunks
1 celery root, trimmed and cut into 1” chunks
1 whole head garlic, separated into cloves, unpeeled
2 or 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, sage, or thyme
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS
Heat 4 cups of water in a saucepan over medium heat. When the water reaches boiling, boil the beets for 15 minutes.

While the beets are cooking, preheat the oven to 400F. Place the beets in ice water for a minute, and slip off their skins. Slice beets into 1/5 inch slices. Put the beets and the rest of the vegetables and the herb sprigs in a large baking dish. Season well with salt and black pepper, drizzle generously with olive oil, and toss them with your hands to coat them evenly. Put the baking dish in the preheated oven and cook, stirring the vegetables occasionally, until they are tender and golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Served up by Tod Dimmick

Radish & Turnip Salad

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










There's a whole family of salads that have huge crunch and little or no green. This is one of them, bringing a nice balance of sweet and tart, crunchy and chewy.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Serves: 4 - 6

2-3 salad turnips, scrubbed and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 bunch radishes, scrubbed and sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1/3 cup raisins
3 TB toasted chopped pecans
Shredded Parmesan
Your favorite vinaigrette

Combine solid ingredients in a salad bowl and toss with the vinaigrette. Crunch crunch.

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Sauteed Radish and Turnip Greens

Photo:
Tod Dimmick

When Powisset serves up gorgeous spring veg, everything can go to good use! This simple dish appeals to people who love greens, and to use everything possible. Greens from salad turnips and radishes cook quickly and are very tasty. Get 'em while they are fresh!

Prep time: 4 minutes (washing those greens)

Cook time: 7 minutes

Serves: 4 as a side dish

3 TB olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 bunch radish greens, washed and any unappetizing leaves removed

1 bunch turnip greens, washed and any unappetizing leaves removed

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the garlic, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the greens and cook, stirring, for 5 mintues or until tender. Distribute to serving plates and season to taste with salt and pepper. Of course, you could never go wrong sprinkling with parmesan, either.

Served up by Tod Dimmick,
AKA "The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Two-Way Turnips topped with Toasted Almonds

Photo:
Tod Dimmick










A warm vegetable dish that combines the tenderness of cooked greens with the sweet crunch of salad turnips.

1 large bunch salad turnips, greens washed and coarsely chopped, turnips scrubbed and enough shredded with a box grater (large holes) to make about a cup.
3 TB olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/3 cup toasted almonds
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook the garlic for a minute or two, stirring. Add the greens, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Then remove the cover, cook and stir for another minute or two until the greens are tender the way you like. Distribute to serving plates, sprinkline with shredded turnips, almonds, and salt and pepper.

Variation: balsamic vinegar is terrific on this. Shredded mozzarella or Parmesan is a nice addition.

Submitted by Tod Dimmick,
"The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Spring Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Photo:
Tod Dimmick











Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 5 minutes
Serves: 4-6

4 slices local bacon
4 TB olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1 clove garlic, crushed or finely minced
4TB balsamic vinegar

1 bunch fresh spinach, washed and dried
3-4 salad turnips with greens, turnips scrubbed and sliced, greens washed and dried
3-4 radishes, scrubbed and sliced
3 TB toasted pecans
Freshly ground black pepper

Cook the bacon in a skillet over medium heat, and drain on paper towels. Pour off the fat (some will remain for flavor, and that's great). Add the olive oil and cook the shallots and garlic for 1 minute, stirring. Turn off the heat. Stir in the vinegar.

Chop the spinach into 1/4 inch pieces.

Place the spinach, turnips, greens, and radishes in a large bowl. Top with the bacon, and pour on the warm dressing. Toss and serve immediately, sprinkling with toasted pecans and black pepper.

Variation: This can easily be made without the bacon.

Submitted by Tod Dimmick,
"The Foodie" at 1000radishes

Roasted Root Vegetables

This recipe is super easy and combines some great winter vegetables. Substitute any veggies for others!

Olive oil
2-3 Tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (or less of dried herbs)
1-2 sweet potatoes or storage potatoes
1-2 rutabagas
1 purple-top storage turnip
2 carrots
1-2 parsnips
1 onion
garlic cloves
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425 F and chop your vegetables into 1-inch or so chunks. Leave garlic peeled and just crush it with the side of a knife. Toss with olive oil and herbs and spread it all on a baking sheet with edges or casserole dish. Bake until tender and slightly browned, stirring once or twice, about 40 minutes.

Winter Storage

Storing your bounty of winter vegetables is easy! Remember to check them frequently, pulling out anything with the start of sprouts or rot. Of course, you can still use these, just cut out those bad parts and use the rest. As a general rule, most winter veggies store ideally at 50 F, so if your fridge is full, try an unheated basement, garage or unused bedroom. Just make sure temperatures will not be at freezing at your storage site.

Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes
Keep unwashed in a cool, dry, DARK place, such as a loosely closed paper bag in a cupboard (never in plastic bags). Ideal temperature is 40-50 F. You can still use sprouted potatoes, just cut out the eyes. Sweet potatoes might not last quite as long as potatoes, check them often.

Root Crops (Celeriac, Rutabaga, Turnip, Beets, Parsnips, Carrots)
The ideal place is near freezing with high humidity. You can store these unwashed in a refrigerator in a plastic bag where they should save several weeks. To save fridge space, you can keep them in boxes filled with soil or sand or moist wood shavings in an unheated (but never freezing) part of your house such as a garage or basement.

Onions and Shallots
Keep them in a cool, dark, dry place with good air circulation (not in plastic) where they won’t freeze. Shallots will last longer. Sprouted parts are fine to use.

Daikon Radishes and Leeks
Wrap the unwashed roots in a plastic bag in the fridge. It will keep for a couple of weeks.

Winter Squash
Keep between 50 F and room temperature, in a cool, dry place without direct sunlight. Do not store in the refrigerator.

Mustard-Roasted Potatoes & Turnips

via Smitten Kitchen.
Makes 10 servings

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1/2 cup whole grain Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick or 1/2 ounce) butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
3 pounds 1- to 1 1/2-inch-diameter mixed unpeeled red-skinned and white-skinned potatoes or turnips, cut into 3/4-inch-wide wedges

Position 1 rack in top third of oven and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Spray 2 large rimmed baking sheets with nonstick spray. Whisk mustard, olive oil, butter, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, lemon peel, and salt in large bowl to blend. Add potatoes or turnips; sprinkle generously with freshly ground black pepper and toss to coat. Divide between prepared baking sheets, leaving any excess mustard mixture behind in bowl. Spread potatoes/turnips in single layer. Roast 20 minutes. Reverse baking sheets and roast until they are crusty outside and tender inside, turning occasionally, about 25 minutes longer.
Transfer to serving bowl.
Do ahead: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand on baking sheets at room temperature. Rewarm in 425°F oven 10 minutes.

Turnips

We grow two different kinds of turnips (Brassica rapa) at the farm: salad and storage.

The salad turnip is a sweeter, juicier and more tender version of its cousin, the storage turnip. Our lovely white salad turnips are a Japanese variety called Hakurei (pictured at right). Store salad turnip roots and greens (also edible) separately in plastic bags in the fridge - they will last a week or so. No need to peel, just wash thoroughly and enjoy. The roots are SO delicious raw - eat it like an apple, chop or grate into salads or slaws, or use as a dipping veggie. Roots and greens can both be lightly sauteed.

We also grow storage turnips, specifically Purple-Top turnips. These root vegetables are best cooked and are yummy when added to winter root vegetable roasts and soups. Avoid overcooking to reduce overly strong flavors. Store in a loose plastic bag in the fridge - it will last a couple of months!

Speedy Hakurei (Salad) Turnip Toss

1 bunch Hakurei turnips with greens
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 small red onion, diced
Salt and pepper
2 tsp. oil

Heat oil in a large skillet. Trim greens from turnips and set aside. Trim turnips and slice in half. Add to the skillet and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, or until turnips are just starting to brown. Add garlic and onion; saute for five minutes. Chop greens and add to skillet. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Cook until greens are wilted, another couple of minutes.

Roast Chicken and (Storage) Turnips

via Mark Bittman. Yield 4 servings Time 1 1/4 hours

The trick here is to preheat a pan in the oven so that, when the bird is placed in it, the thighs are seared by contact, which gives them a jump on the cooking process.

1 chicken, about 3 pounds

Salt and pepper to taste

4 tablespoons softened butter or olive oil

2 pounds white or purple-top turnips, peeled and cut in slices 1/4 inch thick.

1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Place a nonstick roasting pan on a rack set low in oven. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and rub it with about a third of the butter or oil. 2. When oven is hot, add another third of the butter or oil to pan. Place chicken in hot pan, breast up; roast 15 minutes, or until top begins to brown. Remove from oven, and scatter turnips around it; dot them with remaining butter, or drizzle with remaining oil. Tilt pan so juices run out of chicken. 3. Roast 15 minutes longer, and then baste chicken with pan juices. Continue to roast (lower heat to 350 if bird is becoming too brown) until an instant-read thermometer inserted in meaty part of thigh registers 155 degrees, 15 to 30 minutes more. Remove bird from pan, and raise heat to 500 degrees. Return turnips to oven in pan. 4. Let chicken rest while turnips brown, about 5 minutes. Carve chicken, and serve with turnips and pan juices.

Pickled Hakurei Turnips

First, boil a beet and 5-6 turnips for eight or nine minutes. Keep them undercooked because the best pickle has a firm crunch. Then peel and slice.Next, the pickling juice.Bring half a cup of white vinegar, 1 cup of water and a heaping tablespoon of coarse salt to a boil. In one jar combine the pickling liquid with a sliced garlic clove, half of the beet, turnips and some pickling spice. In another, leave the garlic, beet and turnips to simply soak up the vinegar base. The jars, filling with a deep pink tint from the beets, are ready to be sealed.Let sit for at least three weeks (the longer the better) in the fridge before eating.