Braised Root Vegetables & Cabbage with Fruit
This ingenious recipe from Food & Wine boasts extra flavor thanks to the addition of apples and pears.
Ingredients:
4 carrots, peeled and sliced into ½-inch-thick pieces
4 large radishes, quartered
1 large rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 head red cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped
1 small onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 sweet apple, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 pear, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive olive
2 garlic cloves, crushed
½ cup chicken stock or water
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large, deep skillet, melt the butter in the olive oil. When the foam subsides, add the onion, carrot, radish, rutabaga, cabbage, apple and garlic. Season with salt and black pepper and cook over high heat, stirring, until the vegetables are lightly browned in spots, about 6 minutes. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover and braise in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until tender.
2. Remove from the oven, stir in the pear pieces and cook over high heat until the liquid is evaporated and the pear is tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer the braised fruits and vegetables to a bowl and serve.
Beer-Braised Cabbage & Celery Root
This flavorful recipe from Emeril Lagasse gets an extra kick from a sauté in dark beer.
Ingredients:
½ pound bacon*, chopped
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2½ cups chopped cabbage
1½ cups chicken stock
Heaping ½ cup celery root, peeled and thinly-sliced
1¼ cups dark beer, such as Stout
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. In a large, heavy sauté pan, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until golden and the fat is rendered. Add the onions and sauté, stirring, for 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add the cabbage, salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until cabbage begins to soften. Add the chicken stock and beer, and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes, or until liquid has mostly been absorbed. Lastly, add the celery root and cook, stirring, until it is tender. Remove from heat and serve.
*As a substitute for the bacon, sauté the onions and other vegetables in 2 tablespoons butter.
Braised Red Cabbage
This French dish courtesy of Le Cordon Bleu Complete Cook is an excellent accompaniment to roast pork or game. The trick here is the slow-cooking process, which produces a wonderful texture and result.
Ingredients:
1 head red cabbage
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, sliced
2 cooking apples
2 ½ tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Quarter cabbage, cut out and discard core and shred the rest finely. Put cabbage in large sauce pan of boiling salted water; bring back to a boil and drain.
2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large casserole dish or Dutch oven, add the onion, cover and cook until translucent. Peel, quarter and slice apples thinly before adding to pot. Cook for a few minutes, then remove mixture.
3. Add cabbage to dish, layering with onion and apple mixture and sprinkling with the vinegar, sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Season to taste. Cover with thickly-buttered parchment paper and lid, bake for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally, until very tender.
4. Soften remaining butter in a bowl and mix in flour. Push cabbage to one side of pan, revealing liquid at bottom. Add a quarter of butter-flour mixture and stir in (liquid will thicken slightly). Push cabbage to other side of pot and repeat. Toss together, and only add more butter-flour mix if any watery liquid is still present. Season to taste with additional sugar and vinegar as needed.
Roasted Root Vegetables with Balsamic Vinegar
Tossed with fresh thyme, parsley and butter, plus a splash of balsamic vinegar, this recipe works well with any number of root vegetables.
Ingredients:
2 cups Chantenay carrots, scrubbed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 cups parsnips, scrubbed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 cup purple Daikon radish, trimmed of greens, then scrubbed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely-chopped thyme
1 tablespoon freshly-chopped parsley
1 tablespoon butter
1-2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 400°.
2. Using your fingers, toss the vegetables with the oil, salt and pepper in a bowl and then transfer to a baking sheet.
3. Place the vegetables in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Flip them gently with a spatula and continue to roast until the vegetables are browned and crispy, another 10 to 20 minutes.
4. Transfer vegetables to a large serving bowl and add in fresh thyme, parsley and butter, tossing to coat, then drizzle the dish with balsamic vinegar. Taste for seasoning and add additional salt and pepper as desired. Serve warm.
Fried Duck Eggs Over Roasted Fall Vegetables
Shake up your breakfast routine with this hearty, healthy vegetable hash!
Ingredients:
1 pound Huckleberry gold potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 cups carrots, peeled, scrubbed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed of fronds and root ends and sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus additional for frying the eggs
4 duck eggs
1 teaspoon finely-chopped thyme
Sea salt
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
2. Using your fingers, toss the vegetables with the oil, salt and thyme in a bowl and then transfer to the baking sheet.
3. Put the vegetables in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Flip them gently with a spatula and continue to roast until the vegetables are browned and crispy, another 10 to 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, heat additional 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmery. Carefully crack 1 duck egg and drop into the pan, seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Fry until whites are set and crispy around the edges, but yolk is still runny, about 3-4 minutes. Repeat with remaining eggs.
5. Remove vegetables from the oven and top each individual serving with a fried duck egg.
Variation: This hash is extremely versatile: Clean out the crisper and use any vegetables you have on hand!
Roasted Root Vegetables
This simple, satisfying recipe works well with any number of root vegetables—use whatever you have in your crisper!
Ingredients:
2 cups carrots, scrubbed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 cups parsnips, scrubbed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 cups rutabagas, scrubbed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 cup cauliflower, scrubbed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 400°. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
2. Using your fingers, toss the vegetables with the oil and a large pinch of sea salt in a bowl and then transfer to baking sheet.
3. Put the vegetables in the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Flip them gently with a spatula and continue to roast until the vegetables are browned and crispy, another 10 to 20 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.
Braised Savoy Cabbage
This versatile winter dish from Alice Waters is delightful served by itself or mixed with sliced boiled potatoes or crispy bacon.
Ingredients:
1 large (or 2 small) Savoy cabbages
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1 onion, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf
2 thyme sprigs
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ cup white wine
½ cup chicken broth or water
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Remove the tough outer leaves of the cabbage and cut the heads in half, then into quarters. Cut out the cores and cut the quarters into thick slices. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy pan. Add carrots, onion and celery and cook over medium heat for about 7 minutes, or until soft. Add bay leaf, thyme, garlic and a dash more salt. Cook for another minute and then stir in the cabbage and white wine.
3. Cover and cook until the wine is mostly evaporated, about 8 minutes. Add chicken broth or water and bring liquid to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes until cabbage is tender, stirring two or three times during cooking. Season to taste with salt and white wine vinegar as needed.
Butter-Braised Savoy Cabbage
Gently cooking chopped cabbage in a bit of butter and salt creates a meltingly tender, richly-flavored side dish.
Ingredients:
1 small to medium head Savoy cabbage
3-4 tablespoons butter
Sea salt
Method:
1. Cut the cabbage in quarters, cut out and discard core, and chop cabbage into bite-size pieces.
2. Melt butter in a large frying pan or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add cabbage, sprinkle with salt, and add 3 tablespoons of water. Stir to combine, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until cabbage is very tender and liquid is absorbed.
3. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper and serve hot.
Braised Savoy Cabbage with Chorizo
This versatile winter dish adapted from a Alice Waters recipe is delightful tossed with spicy Chorizo or diced bacon.
Ingredients:
1 large (or 2 small) Savoy cabbages
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 bay leaf
½ cup white wine
½ cup chicken broth or water
½ pound Chorizo sausage, cooked and crumbled into bite-size pieces
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Remove the tough outer leaves of the cabbage and cut the heads in half, then into quarters. Cut out the cores and cut the quarters into thick slices. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy pan. Add onions and cook over medium heat for about 7 minutes, or until soft. Add bay leaf, garlic and a dash more salt. Cook for another minute and then stir in cabbage and white wine.
3. Cover and cook until the wine is mostly evaporated, about 8 minutes. Add chicken broth or water and bring liquid to a boil. Turn down to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes until cabbage is tender, stirring two or three times during cooking. Add in crumbled Chorizo sausage, and season to taste with salt if needed.
Root Ribbons with Sage
This stunning salad from local chef Jerry Traunfeld adds just a touch of sweetness to winter vegetables.
Ingredients:
2 pounds root vegetables, such as parsnips
3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup coarsely-chopped sage
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Wash and peel the parsnips and discard the peelings. Continue to peel the parsnips from their tops to the root tips to produce ribbons, rotating the roots on their axis a quarter turn after each strip is peeled, until left with cores that are too small to work with.
2. Melt the butter with the sage in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir for a minute to partially cook the sage. Add the root ribbons and toss them with tongs until they begin to wilt. Add the salt, a good grinding of black pepper, the maple syrup, lemon juice and about ½ cup of water.
3. Continue to cook the vegetables over medium heat, turning them with tongs every minute or so, until all the liquid boils away and the ribbons are glazed and tender, about 10 minutes total. Serve right away, or cool and reheat in the skillet when ready to serve.