Recipes From the Root Cellar_ 270 Fresh Ways to Enjoy Winter Vegetables - Andrea Chesman [90]
Sweet-Potato and Goat Cheese Frittata
Serves 6–8
The harmonious combination of sage and goat cheese allows you to experience the savory side of sweet potatoes. Like the potato-leek frittata (page 229), this dish can be served hot or at room temperature. In this case, I slightly prefer it hot.
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and shredded
1 onion, shredded
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 eggs
¼ cup milk
1½ teaspoons dried sage
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces soft fresh goat cheese (chèvre), crumbled
1 Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2 Heat the oil in a large ovenproof nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sweet potatoes, onion, and garlic, and sauté until the vegetables are tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Taste to make sure the sweet potatoes are fully cooked. If needed, sauté for a few minutes longer.
3 Meanwhile, beat the eggs with the milk. Stir in the sage, salt, and pepper. Pour the eggs into the skillet over the cooked vegetables and cook for 1 minute. Then, using a spatula, raise the cooked egg off the bottom of the pan, allowing any still-liquid egg to run onto the bottom of the skillet.
4 When the eggs are set, sprinkle the top with the cheese and transfer to the oven. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until the top is browned.
5 Let stand for at least 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve hot or at room temperature.
Rumbledethump
Serves 6
Who could resist a recipe so whimsically named? This is the Scottish variation on colcannon, made with the addition of cheese. It makes a hearty main dish.
2 pounds russet (baking) potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
4 tablespoons butter
½ head green or savoy cabbage, finely shredded or sliced
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced
1½ cups lightly packed grated cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2 Cover the potatoes with salted water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and boil gently, covered, until completely tender, 15 to 25 minutes. Drain and mash.
3 Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cabbage and onion and sauté until they wilt, 20 to 25 minutes.
4 Add two-thirds of the cheese and all of the cabbage mixture to the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
5 Transfer the mixture to a casserole dish. Level the top and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the top is golden. Serve immediately.
Vermont Sugarmaker’s Supper
Serves 4
Sugaring season (when Vermonters tap maple trees and boil the sap to make maple syrup) comes at the end of the winter, when nighttime temperatures are still below freezing but daytime temperatures can climb into the 40s. It is also a time when folks who once got by without grocery stores were eating the last of the stored vegetables from the root cellar. I don’t know for a fact that anyone ever ate this dish, but it is a delicious combination of flavors.
VEGETABLES
4 cups peeled and diced mixed root vegetables (beets, carrots, celery root, parsnips, rutabagas, salsify, and/or turnips) or winter squashes
2–4 thin-skinned potatoes, diced
1 whole garlic head, cloves separated and peeled
4 shallots, halved if large
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons crushed dried rosemary
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Maple syrup
EGGS
8 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
FOR SERVING
Whole-wheat or white toast
1 Preheat the oven to 450°F. Lightly oil a half sheet pan (preferred) or large shallow roasting pan.
2 Mound the root vegetables, potatoes, garlic, and shallots on the sheet pan. Drizzle the oil over them and sprinkle with the rosemary, salt, and pepper; toss well. Arrange in a shallow (preferably single) layer.
3 Roast the vegetables for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan occasionally for even cooking, until tender and lightly browned.
4 When the vegetables