The Vegetable:
Root vegetables are generally storage organs, enlarged to store energy in the form of carbohydrates. They all differ in the concentration and balance among starches, sugars and other types of carbohydrates.
Starchy root vegetables are important staple foods, particularly in winter months when you need to keep warm and fight off those nasty winter elements.
The beauty of these vegetables is you can store many of them for months after a long harvest, in winter when traditionally it is a time of little or no harvesting.
Root vegetables are a diverse group of foods, including culinary staples such as potatoes, onion, beets, daikon, parsnips and carrots.
Many root vegetables are highly nutritious, containing both important nutrients and calories often in the form of natural starch.
The Dish:
Root Veg Galore, Wilted Spinach, Lentils and Yoghurt Ripple... Hassel back all your root veg and add some extra flavours for this delicious wintery delight!
Follow the list of ingredients below or add your own touch to use whatever you have on stock. Remember to keep them all round the same size to cook evenly.
The Ingredients:
1 large parsnip
1⁄2 small pumpkin or butternut
1 large onion
2 beetroots
4 carrots
4 potatoes
2 cloves garlic
1⁄2 bunch fresh thyme
olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
100mls red wine
x2 tins lentils or 800 gms cooked brown lentils
100gms baby spinach
4 tablespoons natural yoghurt
The How To:
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Scrub or peel all veg and quarter the parsnip, pumpkin and onion and halve the beetroot. (try to choose medium-sized carrots and potatoes, slice any larger ones in half).
One at a time, place veg on a board between the handles of two wooden spoons, so that when
you slice down into them the spoons stop the blade going all the way through.
Slice 1/2cm intervals all the way along.
Add to the roasting pan.
Peel garlic and place in pestle and mortar with thyme leaves and bash to a paste, adding in 6 tablespoons of olive oil and the vinegar and a pinch of salt and pepper.
Toss well with the veg, then roast for 1 hour, or until golden and caramelized, turning halfway through.
Remove all veg to a board and place the tray over a medium heat on the hob. Pour in the wine and leave to bubble and cook away, scraping up all the sticky bits from the bottom of the tray. Tip in lentils and spinach, then stir until the juices have thickened and leaves wilted. Season to taste, ripple through yoghurt.
Delicious served with the rest of the bottle of red wine.