Root Parade!
an Oakhill Organics ‘original’ recipe
This dish was named when we were buying local veggies at the Bellingham Food Co-op several winters ago. Most of what was local that time of year were root vegetables, so we filled our basket and headed to the check-out, where we lined them up on the conveyer belt to be weighed. I looked down at the all the roots in a row and remarked, ‘it’s a root parade!’ And the name stuck that night when we turned them all into a delicious roasted vegetable dish.
To prepare, simply scrub and/or peel your root veggies, including anything in your root ‘grab bag,’ potatoes, onions, and/or garlic. Cut into approximately same-sized pieces (to ensure even cooking) and coat lightly with cooking oil — I like to do this in a bowl so that I can toss and evenly coat the veggies without drowning them. Layer evenly on a baking sheet and salt to taste.
Roast at high heat. For best results, stir at least once while roasting. Roast until pan is sizzling and veggies have browned and are soft all the way through. Timing will vary on the size of your veggies: smaller chunks will cook and caramelize faster; larger chunks will take longer and will not usually brown as readily.
Serve warm. We like to garnish ours with plain soft goat cheese. Goes great with roasted chicken.
Skillet potato & cabbage pancakes
adapted from Farmer John’s Cookbook
The Farmer John cookbook recommends eating these topped with fried eggs for breakfast or with pork chops at dinner. Sounds tasty!
Place 1 cup shredded cabbage in a steamer basket over boiling water. Cover; steam until tender; 15 to 20 minutes.
Place 2 ½ cups grated potatoes in clean dish towel. Gather up edges, twist towel tight, and hold bundle over sink. Squeeze out as much moisture as you can. (This step helps achieve nicely browned pancakes — a good trick for regular hash browns too.)
Combine the potatoes, cabbage, some diced onion, garlic, 1 beaten egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix well. Use hands to form thin, loose patties of the size you prefer.
Heat a little butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties and press down on them firmly with back of spatula. Cook until pancakes are brown to your liking. Flip and cook until bottoms are brown.
Top with sour cream or applesauce if desired. Serve hot.
Browned Brussels Sprouts in Parmesan Crust
adapted from Farmer John’s Cookbook
A delightful way to prepare Brussels sprouts: fried in oil, tucked inside a perfectly seasoned ‘crust,’ and coated with cheese.
Boil halved Brussels sprouts in salted water; cook until bright green and just tender-crisp. Drain; rinse under cold water to stop cooking.
Heat oil in a large skillet until hot but not smoking. Add sprouts; cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Add seasoned bread crumbs and slowly roll the sprouts around until they are completely covered. Continue cooking until bread crumbs are brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer sprouts to a serving dish and immediately sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
