Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Pull Out Your Roots

Open up your root cellar and pull out those winter veggies; I have a great recipe for you to try!

I made this recipe for a potluck Thanksgiving dish. It combines traditional fall and winter flavors in a deliciously unique way. It was a smash hit with the family.

Sage-Roasted Fall Vegetable Salad
Recipe from Serving Up the Harvest by Andrea Chesman
Serves 6

I doubled the recipe for a Thanksgiving gathering
of 20 people, and there was plenty to go around.

Salad
1 cup uncooked wild rice
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
12 cups peeled and diced fall vegetables (any combination of winter squash, carrots, beets, rutabagas, turnips, parsnips)

1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups sliced Belgian endive, radicchio, or other fall green

Cranberry Vinaigrette
2 shallots, chopped
1 cup homemade or canned cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons raspberry vinegar or other fruited vinegar or red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
I cup walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine the wild rice, water, and salt in a small saucepan. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer until the rice is tender and most of the grains have burst open, 40 to 60 minutes. Drain off any excess water. Let cool.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly grease a large, shallow roasting pan or half-sheet pan with oil.

Combine the diced fall vegetables, onion, and sage in a large bowl. Add the oil, and toss gently to lightly coat the vegetables. Transfer to the prepared pan, and arrange in a single layer.
Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ­vegetables are tender and lightly browned. Let cool.

To make the vinaigrette, finely chop the shallots in a blender. Add the cranberry sauce, vinegar, orange juice, and oil, and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine the roasted vegetables, sliced Belgian endive, and vinaigrette in a large bowl. Toss gently to mix. Taste, and add salt and pepper if desired. Serve at room temperature.


In my version I used a combination of Florida Mountain turnip, parsnips, and carrots for root vegetables. As Rachael Ray would say, "It was delish!"

Side note: If you plan to make this, and you like a lot of flavor, it wouldn't hurt to double the vinaigrette. I felt the salad could have used a little extra dressing.

— Kristy Rustay, Marketing Manager

1 comment:

Gardeningbren said...

This sounds 'delish'. What a great combination.

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