Tag Archives: mustard

Riff It…Riff It Good!

Being vegetable farmers, we love all things vegetable; but no one pushes that envelope better than Yotam Ottolenghi. This man fascinates me with his amazing combinations. I love his cookbooks. They are a treasure trove of ideas and visual art. He encourages all of us to jump head first into the unusual. He is my mentor for true creativity in the kitchen. In his new cookbook Flavor, he introduces his philosophy of layering ingredients for optimal impact. He prefers plates and platters to bowls, and I have largely adopted that approach. By layering textures and flavors every ingredient has a chance to stand out on its own. He prepares condiments ahead of time, as flavor bombs. The simplest roasted vegetable takes on new life when topped with a sauce, relish or spice. The visual impact of food is also important, as we eat with our eyes; so color contrast takes on a whole new meaning. From the platter, to the color and texture of each layer, to the final garnishes, every element is crucial to the presentation of the dish.

In the spirit of trying a little used vegetable, we tried his celeriac steaks with Café De Paris sauce. This dish from Ottolenghi’s Flavor cookbook was so unusual, it was a literal treat for the tastebuds. After roasting the celeriac steaks, they were placed on top of a sauce of butter, shallot, garlic, anchovy, mustard and curry powder, capers, chives, tarragon and parsley. There are really no words to adequately describe this dish. Talk about a flavor bomb! Dishes like these can really get you thinking outside the box. So when I contemplated what vegetables we had on hand, and how I could use them creatively; I came up with the following recipe. You can make “steaks” out of many root vegetables, and we had an abundance of large turnips still in the ground. So I made turnip steaks. Then I needed another vegetable that would offer a color contrast to the turnip. I decided on carrots that I roasted and pureed with a little maple syrup and olive oil. I added a small amount of water; just enough to loosen it in my food processor without changing the flavor. The final decision was a dressing or sauce. I settled on a mustard vinaigrette, as both turnips and carrots would be enhanced by this addition. I garnished with chopped parsley and toasted breadcrumbs; but in hindsight thought a sprinkle of dukkah would have also worked well.

TURNIP STEAKS WITH CARROT PUREE & MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3-4 large turnips (3 slices per person), peeled and sliced 1/2 inch thick
  • 6 large carrots, peeled and sliced in 2-inch chunks
  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons grainy Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons white balsamic or white wine vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 large shallot, minced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
  • 2 tablespoon toasted fresh breadcrumbs, or dukkah

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Prepare two large sheet pans, one for the carrots, and one for the turnip steaks by lining them with parchment paper.
  2. Scatter the carrots on one sheet pan and drizzle them with 1 tablespoon olive oil; toss with your hands. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast in oven for 30-40 minutes, turning carrots halfway through, until lightly browned and soft when tested with a knife. Let cool for 15 minutes.
  3. Place turnip steaks on sheet pan, leaving 1-inch between each slice. Baste both sides with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for about 30-40 minutes, turning each slice over halfway through. They should look brown around the edges.
  4. In a food processor, place roasted carrots, 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon maple syrup; pulse 3 or 4 times. You want to leave some texture; if too thick add water 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency. Place in bowl.
  5. Make vinaigrette, by combining both mustards, white balsamic vinegar, minced shallot, and 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a pint jar. Shake vigorously until combined.
  6. On a platter, place turnip steaks overlapping down the center. Spoon pureed carrots around the edge of platter. Drizzle dressing down the center of the turnips. Garnish with chopped parsley and breadcrumbs or dukkah.

Serves 4

“Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.” — Paul Theroux

Not On My Radar

Today I am grateful. Grateful for living in the country on our vegetable farm. It provides a much needed counterbalance to the daily stress and anxiety of watching our world unravel by the seams. So many things are out of our control; so I focus on the things I can do to live a meaningful life. These include keeping in touch with those I love, planning for an uncertain future, reading, playing games with Val, and above all cooking with as much creativity that I can muster.

If I am an obsessive cook, Val is an obsessive farmer. She loves growing vegetables that are unfamiliar to us. These include some vegetables that don’t necessarily excite me, like turnips. Turnips have never been on my radar. When there are so many vegetables that I love, why grow turnips? When I expressed this to Val she simply said, “Then learn to like them.” She was obviously not detoured. So grow them she did, while I did my part and explored recipes for ideas on how to use them.

I found myself gravitating to recipes that featured them roasted. I figured most vegetables that are roasted are usually sweeter. Really, I didn’t know what to expect, so I tried a simple side dish that roasted them, then tossed them with a vinaigrette while warm; I imagined similar to a French potato salad. It was certainly worth a try. I made a vinaigrette using scallions, tarragon vinegar, whole-grain mustard, extra-virgin olive oil and fresh parsley. I reasoned if I liked everything else in the recipe, I would have a good chance of enjoying them. I butterflied a whole chicken for the grill and we were in business.

I roasted and tossed the turnips with the vinaigrette and the sharpness of the mustard with the vinegar and olive oil smelled wonderful. I went out to finish up the chicken, when Val appeared shortly after with a piece of turnip between her fingers. “It’s time.” she said and popped it in my mouth. Frankly, I was stunned! This was a turnip? This was what I had been avoiding? It was absolutely delicious! Wow. Val stood there with a smirk on her face. “I assume we should grow these again?”

It’s safe to say, I am now a convert. I was so impressed with them I decided that I could use a similar strategy to roast them with chicken. This time I pan-seared chicken thighs, then pan-roasted turnips with fresh tarragon, course mustard, garlic, lemon zest, white wine and chicken stock. I then finished the whole thing covered in the oven for 25 minutes. I have found that turnips love roasting, tarragon and mustard for sure.

ROASTED TURNIPS IN MUSTARD-VINAIGRETTE

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tablespoon tarragon or white wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
  • 1 scallions, sliced thin
  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 24 small or 10 larger turnips, cut in half or wedges depending on size

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. In a bowl, whisk the vinegar with the mustard, scallion, parsley and 1/4 cup of the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Cut the turnips in half through the stems if small, quarter or cut in sixths if larger. In a large bowl toss the turnips with the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread the turnips on the baking sheet and roast for about 18 minutes.
  3. After 5 minutes or so, transfer to a decorative bowl and toss with vinaigrette. Serve.

Serves 4-6

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH TURNIPS, TARRAGON AND LEMON

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3-4 pounds skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 6 medium to large turnips
  • 6-8 sprigs of fresh tarragon
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
  • 1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon tarragon or white wine vinegar
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup parsley, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat a heavy oven-proof Dutch oven on a stove top over high heat. Pat the chicken thighs with paper towels, then rub with the olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Add to pot and sear 6-8 minutes per side, or until well browned. Remove from pot and set aside.
  2. Turn heat down to medium. Pan roast the turnips, adding a bit more olive oil if needed, until lightly golden. Add the tarragon, mustard, garlic, vinegar, wine and stock. Bring to a simmer. Return chicken thighs to pot.
  3. Transfer to oven and roast for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove from oven and take out chicken thighs; cover them with tented foil.
  4. Place pot back on stove over medium-high heat. Reduce liquid by a little less than half. Stir in heavy cream. Cook an additional 5 minutes or until sauce starts to thicken.
  5. With a slotted spoon, remove turnips and place on each plate. Top with a chicken thigh; then spoon sauce over both. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Serves 4

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“This is about trying new things, and getting out of your rut.” — Teri Gault

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