It's winter again

Sunday, January 25, 2015

"It's winter again: the sky's a deep headstrong blue, and the sunlight pours through

the open living-room windows because the heat's on too high in here, and I can't turn it off.
For weeks now, driving, or dropping a bag of groceries in the street, the bag breaking,

I've been thinking: This is what the living do."

- from "What the Living Do", by Marie Howe



Caramelized Winter Vegetables
(from Fresh and Green Table by Susie Middleton)

2 tsp sherry vinegar
2 tsp maple syrup
4 ounces kale or collard greens
3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
10 ounces rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice (note: be sure to measure it, rather than using a whole rutabaga. I did the latter; it was still very good, but took much longer to cook.)
8 - 9 ounces carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2” dice
10 ounces Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2” dice
kosher salt
1 large onion, cut into 1/2” dice
1 Tbsp minced garlic
freshly ground pepper

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and maple syrup and whisk until combined. Set aside.

Remove the stems from the kale or collard by holding stem with one hand and pulling the leaves away with the other hand. Rip the leaves in half lengthwise. Make a stack of leaves, roll them up, and cut into very thin ribbons. Set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add rutabaga, carrots, potatoes and 1 tsp salt. Stir and toss well until the veggies are evenly coated with oil. Reduce heat to medium, cover partially, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes. Add onion and 1/2 tsp salt and continue to cook, uncovered. Reduce heat slightly if necessary, and add a little more oil if the pan seems dry. Continue cooking until vegetables are tender and browned, about another 15 minutes.

Fold in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Gradually add kale or collard in small handfuls until they are all wilted, about 2 minutes. (Don’t add all at once or they won’t get evenly dispersed.)

Remove pan from the heat, taste and season with more salt, if required. Sprinkle with sherry-maple mixture, stir, and serve warm.


Can be served with polenta or noodles, or on its own.

24 comments:

Inger @ Art of Natural Living said...

Isn't it wonderful how well winter vegetables go with each other! I do a roasted vegetable galette, which was one of my daughter's "last meal" choices before she left for her semester abroad.

Choc Chip Uru @ Go Bake Yourself said...

Mmm these vegetables look delicious! The heat has been unbearable here, I am missing the crisp winter feel :D

Cheers
Choc Chip Uru

Anonymous said...

Despite hating the cold and not looking forward to the next snow storm, this dish makes me look forward to winter!!! delicious:)
Mary

Anonymous said...

Despite hating the cold and not looking forward to the next snow storm, this dish makes me look forward to winter!!! delicious:)
Mary

Cakelaw said...

Those veges look delicious - they'd be good at any time of year.

scrambledhenfruit said...

I love how the sweetness of winter vegetables comes out when you cook them. This looks like such a comforting winter dish- good for the body and soul. :)

The Glamorous Gourmet said...

Mmmmm the flavor combo sound delicious and oh so comforting! So glad to have found your blog & look forward to reading more of your delicious recipes:)

Natalie Aguirre said...

Great recipe. I wonder if I can do it with different vegetables my daughter would eat. I may try it. Thanks.

Barbara said...

We're cold down here too, Beth. Roasted veggies sound good to me....love your caramelized version.

grace said...

i really need to track down some rutabagas--i've never tasted one in any preparation! this looks and sounds magnificent and it would be essential in me surviving a northern winter. :)

Unknown said...

I really like kale - this is a creative way to prepare it.

Jemi Fraser said...

We've been roasting so many veggies lately - this sounds like a great addition to our roster! :)

Kayte said...

I've been trying to ignore winter but it is becoming increasingly difficult. I like these veggies you feature...and I am thinking that sherry vinegar would be an interesting flavor to incorporate so I've marked this for later in the week when I have roasted veggies on the menu. Sounds and looks really good!

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

I could make a meal out of these caramelized vegetables! The vinegar-maple syrup topping sounds perfect :)

Valerie Gamine said...

Lovely prose, Beth. What a delicious (spot-on!) description of the winter sky.
Also, I'd happily eat those veggies!

Marcela said...

Yeah, the winter finally came. It's so snowy here, in Poland.
I love your caramelized vegetables! I must give your recipe a try!

have a lovely day, Beth

Anonymous said...

I love roasting veggies year-round, but they're especially nice in the winter!

Pam said...

Your vegetable dish sounds delicious. I just saw rutabagas in the store yesterday and wish I had picked them up. Thanks for the recipe.

lisa is cooking said...

What a lovely dish for winter. I love that cookbook too!

Kitchen Riffs said...

My kind of dish! And a great way to use a green like kale. For some reason I rarely use rutabagas -- I don't know why, because I like them. I should make this just a written -- it's really good. Thanks!

nancy at good food matters said...

such great writing "a headstrong blue"
and I like the idea of using sherry vinegar and maple syrup together in this dish
nice inspiration in this post, Beth. Thank you!

Stephen Tremp said...

Interesting, I would have to leave the vinegar out though. I'm not a big vinegar fan but do like my veggies.

Anonymous said...

Enjoyed the excerpt and the vegetables look delicious! Perfect for a winter day.

Angie's Recipes said...

I bought a large bulb of rutabaga yesterday in our tiny local market and was planning to make some soup and salad this weekend, but now I might just make some baked veggies for the lunch! It looks so delicious!

Post a Comment