Musafir's Musings

Earth's bounties during the cold weather
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Rutabaga as gourmet fare in expensive restaurants in Washington DC ! The Washington Post article by Walter Nicholls has a link to interesting recipes. Don't know about gussified rutabaga but some of us who dabble in cooking have always recognized the merits of this and other root vegetables. Simply roasting root vegetables mixed with olive oil, a dash of Herbes de Provence or cumin powder will produce a hearty, healthy, flavorful dish. Enjoy it with a soup made from roasted Acorn squash or orange-flesh sweet potatoes (yams), accompanied by rustic bread and a light red (Rhone style) wine. A great supper on a chilly evening. If a vegetarian meal is not your thing, broil some sausages, slice them in 1" pieces and serve on a platter to accompany the vegetables.

This is how I do it. About 1/2 lb. of each would be enough for four plus leftover.

Rutabaga
Parsnip
Celeriac (Celery Root)
Fennel bulb
Turnip
Beet root
Daikon
Yam
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Red Onion
Garlic
Salt and black pepper
Herbes De Provence or Cumin powder

Peel, cut into bite size pieces. Dice the onion, mince the garlic. Drizzle with olive oil, Herbes De Provence, a dash of cumin powder, salt and coarse ground black pepper. Mix well. Bake in 375 deg. oven for 30/35 minutes (until soft, not mushy). If desired, drizzle extra virgin olive oil before serving.
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Herbes De Provence

1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon summer savory
1/2 teaspoon lavender
1/4 teaspoon rosemary
1/2 teaspoon oregano or basil
1/4 teaspoon sage

I exclude bay leaf.
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