What to do with all this bounty? Here are a few hot and cold ideas perfect for right now. With apologies for the terribly Google blogger formatting I can't control.
Borscht
Serves 4-6
3 large or 8 small fresh red beets, peeled
1 bunch of small beet greens, washed and dry
1 large onion, peeled
2 large carrots, peeled
2 turnips, peeled
2 turnips, peeled
¼ lg. white cabbage with outer leaves discarded, shredded as
if for coleslaw
3 medium sized red or new potatoes, peeled and cut into
bite-sized pieces
5 cups vegetable stock
Juice of one lemon
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsps. dill seeds
1/8 tsp. Szechuan pepper or Nepali timur, or for a slightly
different taste crushed juniper berries
1 tsp. celery seed
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. cracked pepper
1 tbsp butter
¼ cup olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
½ cup fresh dill, chopped
Sour cream or thick yogurt and 1/8 tsp. caraway seed to
garnish
Either finely chop the onion or chop it in a food processor
into tiny pieces.
Grate, shred or finely chop in a food processor the carrots.
Then do the same to the beets and beet greens and turnips. Do not puree but chop into small
bits to get a thick soup. Ground the dill seeds in a coffee grinder, small chopper or
mortar and pestle.
Over medium high flame, heat the olive oil in a heavy gauge
soup pot or large casserole. When it is hot, add the Szechuan pepper, ground
dill seed, celery seed, allspice and stir to blend. Add the onion and stir fry for one minute. Add the butter and once it melts, add the
carrots and stir fry for two more minutes. Add the cracked black pepper, beets
and beet greens. Stir to blend, lower heat to the lower end of the medium range
and cook about five minutes, until vegetables are soft. Stir frequently to
prevent burning.
Add half the lemon juice and 1/8 teaspoon of salt and stir
to blend.
Add the vegetable broth, shredded cabbage and diced
potatoes. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to simmer. Cover the pot and simmer
for 20 minutes.
Stir in the remaining lemon juice. Taste for salt and add to
your taste.
Remove from heat.
Toss in the fresh chopped dill.
Ladle into soup bowls and serve with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt in
the middle of the bowl. Sprinkle caraway seeds over all and enjoy.
Crunchy slaw (celeriac, daikon, carrots, fennel bulb, sunchokes and salad turnips)
There is truly no exacting recipe for this. Just do what you can and it will be fine.
serves 4 -6
1 med celeriac, peeled and cleaned
3 med/lg carrots, peeled
1 sm daikon, peeled
1 fennel bulb
2 chiogga or golden beets, peeled and cleaned
4 sunchokes, peeled
4 med/lg salad aka Hakurei/Tokyo turnips, cleaned
1 med purple onion, peeled
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to your taste
Grate the celeriac, carrots, daikon, salad turnips, beets and sunchokes into a large bowl.
Core the fennel bulb and slice in crosswise into very thin strips. Add to the bowl.
Half the onion and cut it into very thin strips. Add to the bowl and blend everything.
You should have a rainbow in there. Add salt and pepper. Blend.
For the dressing:
3 garlic cloves, minced or
mashed
1 tsp. dried tarragon
½ tsp. Dijon-type mustard
½ tsp. caraway seeds
1/2 c vinegars: I mix
Balsamic, Japanese rice wine and plain red wine (you can also use apple cider
vinegar for a slightly sweeter taste)
¼ cup olive or corn oil
salt to taste
Combine everything and whisk to blend. Pour as much as you want over the slaw and serve.Rutabaga and Potato Gratin with onion, leeks and garlic
This recipe is from Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking, and was a huge hit in Mongolia!
Serves 6-8
1 tbsp olive oil (you can use
butter if you prefer)
1 small onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and
minced
2 cups heavy cream (you can
substitute one cup of evaporated milk for one cup of cream but the final dish
will be soupy)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp coarsely ground black
pepper
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp dried rosemary leaves
1 star anise, crushed (if you
don’t have star anise, substitute ½ tsp dried tarragon or 1/8 tsp ground
cloves)
1 ¼ lb baking potatoes,
peeled and sliced into thin disks
1 large rutabaga (1lb),
peeled and sliced into thin disks
1 large leek, sliced into
thin disks and washed
½ lb. Gruyere cheese, grated
Preheat oven to 375º and get out a baking pan approximately 11” x 7”.
Heat the olive oil in a small
sauté pan. Add the garlic and onion and
sauté over medium heat for about 3 minutes, until the onion starts to
soften. Remove from heat and add the
salt, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the
cream. Spread the leeks evenly
around the bottom of the baking dish. Don’t worry if there are gaps, just be
sure they are uniform. Cover the leeks
with a layer of potatoes (half the potatoes). Sprinkle the rosemary over the
potatoes, then sprinkle ½ cup of cheese.Add a layer of rutabaga,
using half of what you have. Sprinkle the crushed star anise around this layer
and then ½ cup cheese too. Repeat a layer of potatoes and cheese, then a layer
of rutabaga. Pour the creamy onion mixture
over everything as evenly as you can and bake for 30 minutes in convection or
35 minutes in a regular oven. Sprinkle
the remaining cheese over the top and continue to bake another 12-15 minutes,
or until the rutabaga is tender and the cream seems to be solid. (It won’t be
if you used evaporated milk.) Remove from the oven and let
it cool at least 5 minutes before serving.
You can sparingly add freshly chopped flat leaf parsley for color if you
wish.
Tibetan lamb with daikon, ginger, onions and garlic
serves 4
1½ -3/4 lbs. stewing lamb pieces with bones
1 lg. daikon, peeled
2 med./lg. onions
3” fresh ginger, peeled
7 lg. garlic cloves, peeled
¼ tsp. Szechuan pepper or ¼ tsp. coarse ground black pepper &
1 dried chili
½ tsp. salt
4-6 cups water
1 lg. tomato, cored
¼ tsp. mild chili or 1/8 tsp. cayenne powder
1 tbsp. corn, safflower, canola, mustard oil
6-8 med. Asian mustard greens (1/2 a bunch)*
*You can substitute dandelion greens or large arugula. You want
pungent.
Cut the daikon into two inch long pieces (probably 5 to 6).
Quarter one onion. Smash the ginger and
6 garlic cloves with the back of a knife.
Put the lamb, daikon, quartered onion, ginger, garlic,
pepper and ¼ tsp. salt in a medium casserole or lidded saucepan and barely
cover with water. Depending on the width of the pot, this will require four to
6 cups. Bring to a boil, cover, lower
heat and simmer for an hour or a few minutes longer, until the lamb is just
tender enough to fall easily from its bones. Remove the lamb and daikon from
the broth. Boil the broth hard for 15 minutes to reduce it. (This is the point at which you can cool
everything and put it in the refrigerator until you want to serve it.)
Take the lamb meat off the bones, discard the bones and cut the
meat into bite-sized pieces. Cut the daikon lengths into thin (1/8”) discs,
then cut them in half lengthwise so you have semicircles.
Chop the
remaining onion finely. Chop the tomato finely. Mince the remaining garlic
clove. Degrease the broth and strain it.
Over high heat, heat the tbsp of oil in a wok or large sauté pan that
has a lid. Add the onion and garlic.
Stir fry to brown. Add the chili or
cayenne pepper and blend. Add the lamb.
Stir to blend. Keep cooking on high about 90 seconds to brown the lamb
slightly. Add the chopped tomato, another ¼ tsp. salt and ½ cup of the broth.
(If you’d like this really “stewy” and not braised, add ¾-1 cup of broth.) Cook
about five minutes until the tomato dissolves into the juice and the broth is
boiling.
Coarsely chop or break the mustard greens in half or thirds
(depending on their size), lay on top of the lamb and daikon, cover the pot and
steam for two minutes. Remove the lid, stir the greens into the “stew”, adjust
for salt and pepper and serve. You can use the remaining broth to make Scotch
Broth or to pour over rice.
Stewed chicken with carrots and kohlrabi
This is from the book How to Fix a Leek....
serves 6
2 tsp each salt & ground black pepper
8 sm kohlrabies, leaves off
pinch of saffron threads
3 carrots, cleaned and peeled
½ tsp each turmeric & cinnamon
½ stick (4 tbsp) butter
2 tsp ground coriander
2 lg onions, thinly sliced
1 qt chicken stock
1 cup chopped tomatoes (boxed ok)
6 sprigs parsley, washed
Cut kohlrabies into 1” chunks and carrots into ½” thick
disks. Heat butter in heavy gauge casserole on med. heat. Add chicken. Sauté 5
minutes to crisp skin. Add onion, tomatoes, salt, pepper, saffron and spices.
Sauté 5 minutes. Add broth and parsley, cover, bring to boil, reduce to simmer
and cook 20 minutes. Add kohlrabi and
simmer 15 minutes, add carrots and simmer 20 minutes more or until vegetables
and chicken are tender. Serve garnished with minced parsley.
Vegetarian red flannel hash
serves 2 -4
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes,
scrubbed
3 beets, scrubbed
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil,
plus more as needed
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper
1 large red onion, peeled and
quartered
½ cup crème fraîche or sour
cream
2 tbsp prepared horseradish (this is a root vegetable)
1 lemon, zested and juiced
3 scallions, thinly sliced on
the bias (more roots)
¾ c grated dry jack or
Cheddar
2 tbsp butter, plus more as
needed
2-4 eggs, fried soft in butter
Heat
the oven to 425º. Rub the potatoes and beets with a bit of oil, sprinkle with
salt and pepper and wrap individually in foil. Put on a rimmed baking sheet,
and roast until easily pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, 40 to 60 minutes,
depending on their size. (Remove when done.)
Toss the onions in enough
olive oil to coat. When the potatoes and beets are about halfway, add the
onions, and roast, turning occasionally until they’re tender but not
caramelized, 20 to 25 minutes. Combine the crème fraîche and horseradish in a
small bowl, and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste.
When the potatoes are cool
enough to handle, crush them with your hands; peel and trim the beets, and chop
to about the same size; same with the onions. Mix with the scallions, cheese
and some salt and pepper.
Put 2 tbsp each of olive oil
and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot but
not smoking, add the potatoes and beets, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Shake the pan to form a single layer, and cook undisturbed, but adjusting the
heat as necessary so that the vegetables sizzle and bubble. Add more butter if
the pan looks dry, but the hash should never look oily. Cook until the potatoes
and beets are golden brown on the bottom, 5 to 10 minutes. Turn, taste, adjust the seasoning, then sprinkle
with some lemon juice
and salt. Serve topped with a fried egg and a bit more
lemon juice
Root vegetable pot pie
This is an old time favorite I made up years ago and included in Veggiyana, the Dharma of Cooking.
I think this truly celebrates root vegetables in all their tastiness and color.
Serves 6-8
1 lg onion, peeled 1 small rutabaga, peeled and coarsely chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 white turnip, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces
3 carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1” pieces
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into ½” disks
1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced into thin disks
1 leek, washed and cut into ½” disks
1 sm daikon, peeled and cut into thin disks
1 small celeriac bulb, peeled and coarsely chopped
6 purple or red round potatoes, washed and quartered
1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
2” piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
4 lg garlic cloves, peeled and minced
½ tsp ground turmeric (this is a rhizome)
3 tbsp olive or peanut (a ground nut) oil
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp ground chipotle powder or smoked paprika
2 tsp dried marjoram leaves
1 tsp ground coriander (this is the root of the plant)
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 ½ c vegetable broth or water
½ c chopped tomatoes
½ c fresh parsley sprigs, chopped
1 c dried polenta meal
½ c buttermilk
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp plus 1 tsp butter
¼ cup grated parmesan, romano or asiago cheese
4 cups water
pinch of nutmeg
Slice the onion into thin disks, slice each disk in
half and then in half again. Heat the oil in a large casserole or small soup
pot over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, black pepper and turmeric and
stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the shallot slices, onion and leek. Sauté for 3-5
minutes until soft. They will be colored by the turmeric. Stir in ground
coriander, chipotle or smoked paprika and marjoram. Put remaining root
vegetables in the pot. Add salt and broth or water. Raise heat to a boil.
Cover, lower heat to simmer and cook 20 minutes.
Preheat an oven to 350º. Get a large ovenproof casserole or deep-dish pie pan.
In a large saucepan, boil the 4 cups of water and salt. Stir in polenta and 2 tbsp of butter and stir rapidly to blend, so the polenta doesn’t lump up. Continue stirring and cooking the polenta for 4-5 minutes, until it starts to release large bubbles. Remove from heat and stir in buttermilk. Stir tomatoes and chopped parsley into the vegetables.
Fill the casserole or pie dish with the vegetables and their juice, leaving about ¼” at the top. Using a large kitchen spoon, spoon the polenta over the top to create a crust, up to ½” thick is okay. Be sure to cover the edges and smooth the top. Cut the tsp of butter into tiny pieces and scatter on top of the cooked polenta. Sprinkle on the cheese and the pinch of nutmeg.
Put the potpie in the center of the oven and put a large cookie sheet on the rack below it to catch any spills. Cook for 20-30 minutes, until the top vaguely starts to brown and crisp. Remove and let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Preheat an oven to 350º. Get a large ovenproof casserole or deep-dish pie pan.
In a large saucepan, boil the 4 cups of water and salt. Stir in polenta and 2 tbsp of butter and stir rapidly to blend, so the polenta doesn’t lump up. Continue stirring and cooking the polenta for 4-5 minutes, until it starts to release large bubbles. Remove from heat and stir in buttermilk. Stir tomatoes and chopped parsley into the vegetables.
Fill the casserole or pie dish with the vegetables and their juice, leaving about ¼” at the top. Using a large kitchen spoon, spoon the polenta over the top to create a crust, up to ½” thick is okay. Be sure to cover the edges and smooth the top. Cut the tsp of butter into tiny pieces and scatter on top of the cooked polenta. Sprinkle on the cheese and the pinch of nutmeg.
Put the potpie in the center of the oven and put a large cookie sheet on the rack below it to catch any spills. Cook for 20-30 minutes, until the top vaguely starts to brown and crisp. Remove and let it cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.
I'll serve up more root vegetable ideas later on as winter markets have nothing but them.
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