Rooting Up A Recipe

I know I said that I was going to do a brinner-type recipe this week, but my plans for that kind of fell through. That doesn't mean I wasn't a busy bee in the kitchen this week. In addition to today's post, I also created a new recipe, which I will feature in a future post. The brinner-related recipe will be next week. Now, as Heather says, onto the show.

So I keep on seeing all these obscure root vegetables in these cooking shows I like to DVR. I like new foods and root vegetables keep for a long time. Sounds like a plan to me.


Sidenote: People, I'm not to blame for the corny titles that appear in this weekly feature. Oh no, you can blame my dad for that. My dad, who thinks that puns are the highest form of humor, passed these genes onto me. I fight it, but I slip occasionally. :-)

Anyhoo, to FoodNetwork.com for a recipe!

Buttered Root Vegetables

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 lb parsnips, peeled, cut into cubes
1 lb carrots, peeled, cut into cubes
1 lb turnips, split into halves
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup mixed chopped fresh herbs, like chervil, parsley and thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the olive oil and butter into a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and toss to coat them well with the fat; season with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup chicken stock and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add butter and toss until incorporated. To serve, pour vegetables in a large bowl and shower with mixed herbs and season with salt and pepper.

There are all the glorious root vegetables. Yes, folks those are purple potatoes in there. Some fancy-type baby potatoes were on sale at Publix, so I picked up a two-pound mixed bag.

Mike isn't a huge fan of the idea of a meat-less dinner, so I threw some cubed ham in with the veggies. Mmmmm, pork.

I put some delicious broiled asparagus with the ham and root veggies to balance the whole meal out. If I can figure out a way to incorporate green veggies into the main dish, I will have a one-pot meal.

Now, I was a little scared of this recipe because I have never had parsnips or turnips...ever. What if I hated it? I would have a whole pot of stuff I didn't want to eat. That's the risk you take when you embark upon culinary adventures, though. The verdict: I loved it! Turnips are much sweeter than I thought they would be, and parsnips actually have a sweet, lemony taste. There was nothing I didn't like about this dish. The veggies were a wee bit more expensive than I thought they would be, though. One pound of parsnips was about $2.50. I'm wondering if anyone knows if that might be because it's not their season or something? Or is this normal? I appreciate any input some experienced parsnip and/or turnip buyers have to offer.