Slow-Roasted Celery
This unexpected side dish is sure to be a new favorite.
Ingredients:
2 bunches celery, halved lengthwise, leaves removed and coarsely chopped
3 to 4 cloves garlic, pressed
3 tablespoons apple cider
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
3⁄4 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
2⁄3 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the celery for 3 minutes, scoop them out with a slotted spoon, and let drain. Place the celery on a baking sheet, cut sides down.
3. Whisk the garlic, apple cider and olive oil together, then season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the celery with half of the dressing and half of the parsley and slide the baking sheet into the oven. Pour the stock over them and cook for 45 to 60 minutes (depending on the thickness of the celery), until the celery al dente and the tips are coloring.
4. Transfer to a serving platter if desired. Drizzle with the rest of the dressing; sprinkle with the rest of the parsley, celery leaves, cheese, and hazelnuts; and serve.
Slow-Roasted Sungold Cherry Tomatoes
Incredibly sweet and juicy, these roasted beauties are wonderful atop crostini.
Ingredients:
1 pound Sungold cherry tomatoes, or a mixture of both cherry tomatoes and diced heirloom tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 300°. Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Brush the tomatoes with oil, then season with salt and pepper. Transfer the tomatoes to the prepared rack
2. Roast the tomatoes until skins are shriveled but tomatoes are still plump, about 1 1/2 hours. Let tomatoes and their juices cool to room temperature.
Variations: For added punch, toss tomatoes with your favorite fresh herb, such as thyme or oregano, or minced garlic, before roasting.
Slow-Roasted Ginger-Lime Carrots
These flavorful carrots from Jennifer Perillo’s Homemade with Love cookbook are wonderful served hot, at room temperature and even cold.
Ingredients:
1 bunch carrots, peeled and stems discarded
1 (1½ -inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon olive oil
Zest of 1 lime
Sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 300°.
2. Add the ginger, syrup, lime zest and salt to a small bowl. Adjust seasonings to taste. Beat with a fork or whisk to mix well.
3. Arrange the carrots in a roasting pan. Pour the ginger-oil mixture over them, tossing the carrots to coat them well. Bake until tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Wonderful served hot, at room temperature and even cold.
Roasted Beet Salad with Mesclun Greens & Crumbled Chevre
Topped with a light vinaigrette and roasted pumpkin seeds, this salad is both colorful and satisfying.
Ingredients:
Roasted beets, sliced and still warm from the oven (see recipe)
2-3 cups Mesclun greens, washed and dried
½ cup crumbled chevre cheese
½ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
½ cup high-quality olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 small clove garlic, crushed
Fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. To prepare vinaigrette: Whisk olive oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic together, seasoning with fresh ground pepper to taste.
2. To assemble the salad: Arrange Mesclun greens on a large platter and then top with beet slices. Top with roasted pumpkin seeds and crumbled chevre, then drizzle with the vinaigrette. Top with additional ground pepper to taste.
Roasted Garlic, Three Ways
The Hungry Mouse blog shares favorite ways to enjoy this essential aromatic ingredient: roasted, in compound butter and as an infused oil.
Ingredients:
Whole heads of garlic
8 tablespoons butter
Olive oil
Method:
1. Roasted: Preheat oven to 350°. Cut head(s) off of garlic about half-inch from the top, set trimmed head(s) in baking dish. (You may discard tips, or toss them into the baking dish—just keep an eye on them during roasting as these small pieces burn more easily.) Drizzle garlic with a generous swig of olive oil, seeping oil down into the head(s). Cover dish with aluminum foil, roast for 30-45 minutes until garlic is a deep caramel color and soft. Remove cloves from skin with sharp paring knife.
2. Compound Butter: Cut a stick of butter into small pieces and set in a bowl to soften. Once soft, add in mashed roasted garlic and mix together with a fork. (For 1 stick of butter, add the equivalent of half head of roasted garlic. Feel free to play with this ratio for stronger—or more subtle—versions!) Refrigerate until ready for use. Use to make garlic bread, stir it into mashed potatoes or to garnish a grilled steak.
3. Infused Oil: Set strainer over a small bowl. Take baking pan with extra olive oil and garlic skins and strain into bowl, pressing garlic skins with a spoon to squeeze out any and all extra oil. Keep garlic-infused oil in the fridge, use within one week.
Slow-Cooker Corned Beef with Cabbage, Carrots & Potatoes
Cook this in your slow cooker all day and you’re guaranteed success! Serve this with soda bread for a warm and satisfying meal.
Ingredients:
1 2-4-pound corned beef brisket* (flat or point cut)
1 white onion, sliced
2 pounds red, gold or other baby potatoes (a mixture of any works; peel them if you’d like and halve or quarter if particularly large)
3 carrots, sliced thickly
2 garlic cloves, peeled
½ head green cabbage cut into thin wedges
1½ cups water (or use this week’s lager instead, or a bottle of Guinness!)
Method:
1. Add the sliced onion to the bottom of the slow cooker, then place the corned beef over top. (Sprinkle over the seasoning packet, if necessary; see note.) Add your baby potatoes on top of the roast, then layer the carrots and garlic.
2. Pour over the water, or lager and place the lid on the slow cooker. Cook on high for 5 hours or low for 8 hours total, adding the cabbage during the last 2 hours.
3. Remove the meat onto a cutting board and slice into strips. Serve the meat with potatoes, carrots, and cabbage. Drizzle melted butter over the potatoes if desired. Serve with horseradish mustard or stone ground mustard.
*The corned beef from Carlton Farms this week comes brined, seasoned and ready to go for this recipe; if you are using a corned beef purchased from the store, you’ll want to add in the spices from the enclosed seasoning packet that often comes with the brisket.
Slow-Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes
Slow-roasting these beautiful tomatoes concentrates their unique flavor—try these with a drizzle of pesto!
Ingredients:
1 pound heirloom tomatoes
2 tablespoons ultra-fine sugar
1 tablespoons green peppercorns
Good quality olive oil
Sea salt
Method:
1. Cut off the stem end of the tomato and then slice it into approximately ½-inch slices. When all the tomatoes are sliced, place them on a rimmed sheet pan and brush or drizzle olive oil over each tomato slice.
2. Mix the sugar and the salt together. Sprinkle some of the sugar/salt mixture on each tomato. In a mortar, grind the peppercorns until very crushed but not totally pulverized, then sprinkle over tomatoes.
3. Put the pan of tomatoes into a 175° oven for about 3 hours until caramelized.
Roasted Red Peppers, Potatoes & Onions with Rosemary
This easy roasted side dish is fragrant with fresh rosemary.
Ingredients:
1-1 1/2 pounds fingerling potatoes, washed and sliced into halves (if smaller) or quarters (if large)
2-3 Bullhorn peppers, seeded and cut into large chunks
½ red onion, sliced into rounds
1 sprig rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
1-2 tablespoons olive or grapeseed oil
½ teaspoon sweet paprika (optional)
Freshly-chopped parsley
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 400°. Using a large bowl, toss vegetables in oil and spices to coat evenly. Place potatoes, peppers, onion, and rosemary in a baking dish large enough for vegetables to spread out into a single layer. (Don’t crowd, or the vegetables won’t have a chance to crisp and brown. If necessary, divide the vegetables onto two baking sheets.)
2. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring once or two during roasting, until potatoes are pierced easily with a fork. Remove from the oven, drizzle with about a teaspoon of olive oil and garnish with the fresh parsley.
Roasted Golden Beet & Carrot Dip
This vibrant spread is delicious slathered on toasted bread or crackers.
Ingredients:
6 baby golden beets, trimmed and peeled
6-8 baby carrots, trimmed and peeled
1 medium-sized head of garlic, with the end cut off
3 tablespoons plus ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Sea salt
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Quarter the beets and halve the carrots, then toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, and sprinkle with sea salt. Arrange on a rimmed baking sheet, and slide into the oven. Roast 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender and edges are a light golden brown, flipping vegetables halfway through.
2. Meanwhile, set out a 10-inch rectangle of foil. Set the head of garlic in the center, and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Wrap the foil packet tightly around the garlic, set in a small ovenproof baking dish, and roast for about 15 minutes, or until cloves are soft and cooked through. Carefully open the foil packet, and set garlic aside until cool enough to handle. Squeeze the soft cloves out of the papery skin and set aside.
3. Place the roasted beets, carrots, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until broken down a bit. Then, with food processor running, drizzle in the ½ cup olive oil, honey and a large pinch of salt. Taste for seasoning and add more salt as needed. Top dip with minced parsley and serve at room temperature.
Roasted Turnips, Shallots and Garlic with Rosemary
Seasoned with fragrant herbs, this classic recipe from Cook’s Illustrated is a guaranteed success as either a side or vegetarian main dish.
Ingredients:
1 head garlic
1½ pound turnips, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 shallots, peeled
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper
Method:
1. Heat oven to 375°. If roasting garlic cloves in skins, simply break head into individual cloves. If you wish to roast cloves out of skins, put whole, unpeeled head in a small saucepan with water to cover. Bring water to boil, then simmer to soften cloves and loosen skins, about 10 minutes. Drain and refresh garlic head under cold water. Separate cloves and peel.
2. Put turnips and shallots into a roasting pan large enough to hold them without crowding. Toss with butter and rosemary and sprinkle with salt. Roast, stirring or shaking vegetables every 15 minutes for 30 minutes. Add garlic.
3. Raise heat to 425° and continue roasting until tender and evenly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle with pepper; taste and adjust seasonings. Serve hot or at room temperature.