Potatoes get more than their fair share of love. While not disliking potatoes, my grown up palate prefers other vegetables to this white, perfectly pleasant tuber.
I do persist in buying potatoes – keeping them cool and dark like one is supposed to – but more often than not these are the vegetables that grow eyes, eyes that plead “don’t throw me on the compost pile. Just scrape off the green and we are fine to eat.” They are lying of course. My poor husband, for whom mashed potato would be his desert island dish, usually has to get his potato lust sated elsewhere. What can I say?
Don’t get me wrong, I am not immune to the charms of the triple cooked chip, or the lure of softly creamy, garlic-scented dauphinoise. But mostly I am happy with other tubers and roots, and also to the grains and pseudo grains that fill the same hole in the diet and dish.
Maybe I am drawn to the colour of these other edibles. Perhaps I have trained myself over the (many, many) years to give potatoes the proverbial elbow, while embracing their more colourful soil-covered brethren. Maybe I am just a bit of a weirdo.
In any case, other root vegetables and tubers can do all of the things that the ubiquitous potato can do. And more colourfully. Golden swede mash is delightful. Sweet potato chips are insanely good. Roasted celeriac is completely underrated. Beetroot, well, it doesn’t mash so well (it is a bit scary to be honest), nor chip up so nicely, but it certainly gratins up a storm. Or boulangeres up a storm. I’m actually confused as to how to categorise this dish. It has no cream or cheese, so I don’t think it is a gratin or dauphinoise. I am not sticking it under a roasting lamb, and it isn’t layered with thinly sliced onion, so boulangere it is not. You can decide.
Until British potatoes are coming through why not give this simple baked root vegetable dish a try? We are having this with my savoury vegetable cake, spring onion gravy (posting soon, I promise), creamed kale and these fennel and maple-roasted carrots. Well, actually we are having this on Saturday. Sunday is being spent at this fine St Andrews restaurant with family because Rachel – unbelievably – doesn’t have an Easter break: classes on Good Friday and Easter Monday. Heavens above!
I will be back next with my Spring Onion Gravy, which will be perfect for any Easter lunch. Except ours. I don’t think The Adamson has a ‘BYOG’ policy. 😉 But perhaps I should just check…
Beetroot and Jerusalem Artichoke Boulangere {Gratin}
Gratin? Boulangere? Dauphinoise? This sweet, earthy and colourful baked vegetable dish is difficult to categorise, but not at all difficult to eat. It is an easily put together mélange of winter roots that is terrific not only as a side to any roast dinner, grilled fish, sausages, an omelette, but also a star in its own right with a crisp, seed-topped (for the protein) salad or on a buffet table. And of course, perfect for Easter.
Oh, and don’t be nervous of the lavender. In this amount it provides a background herbal, rather than overly floral, note. You could use all thyme leaves but the lavender really adds something special and intriguing.
Inspired by a recipe on williams-sonoma.com via kitchenkonfidential.com
1.5kg (3 lbs 5 oz) – or so – beetroot and Jerusalem artichokes. For the beetroot, try and obtain golden, chiogga (striped flesh) and red beets
5 tbsp unsalted butter or olive oil, divided use (use ghee/clarified butter for paleo diets)
75g (2.6 oz/1/2 cup) finely chopped shallots or mild onion
1 tsp chopped thyme leaves
1 tsp culinary lavender buds (more or less, depends on how strong the aroma is; mine is 2 years old and mild)
Bay leaf
A few grinds of pepper
120ml (4 fl oz/1/2 cup) hot light vegetable stock
Chives, to garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Oil or butter a gratin dish, heavy skillet or shallow pie dish of about 10 inches/23cm.
2. Wash and peel the beetroot then, using a mandolin if possible, thinly slice the beets into 2mm/1/16” rounds. For the Jersusalem artichokes, just scrub well and slice thinly with a mandolin, or by hand. I used many more beets than ‘chokes, but this is up to you. You could also use celeriac, carrots or swede or turnips/rutabaga in the mix too.
3. Warm the remaining butter or oil in a pan and sauté the chopped shallots slowly for five minutes, then add the herbs and pepper and sauté another minute.
4. Arrange the vegetables as you wish in your prepared dish. I tiled them in a rosette pattern(quite ineptly) but you could just layer them as you wish. Pour over the stock then pour or dab over and brush the herb and butter/oil mixture evenly over the top; tuck in the bay leaf. Cover tightly with foil and bake in the oven for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for a further 15-20 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the vegetable are very tender.
5. Garnish with chopped fresh chives or other fresh herbs that you like, such as chervil or parsley, and serve.
The rest of the Easter menu: savoury vegetable cake, maple & fennel roasted carrots, creamed kale, spring onion gravy (recipe to follow very soon)
I am entering this over at Credit Crunch Munch (fuss free flavours, fab food 4 all, and utterly scrummy). Why don’t you enter your own thrifty recipe?? And what about adding to Karen’s Cooking with Herbs ? And every week the lovely Emily hosts the very popular #recipeoftheweek. Go and add yours and maybe you will be one of her featured bloggers.
The girls and I LOVES beet here, beet salad, roasted beets, raw beets… But we sure enjoy our potatoes as well 🙂 and all the other vegetables hehe
Literally JUST bought beautiful jerusalem artichokes from the farmers market and was wondering what to do with them!! Thanks!
Yay! I trust you know how JAs are with your own – ahem – system. I can only enjoy a token few slices, I’m afraid. I LOVE the taste so much, but I need a high ratio of beets to Jas for me ;p
Wow. This sounds like such a wonderfully elaborate dish! Incredibly impressive variety of unique ingredients.
Oh, it may look elaborate, but I hope you read that it is not in the least bit difficult. Layer, pour, bake. Ta-da!
Of course. I was referring to the ingredients as being elaborate, but the simple preparation technique is wonderful also!
:-))
What a beautiful display of color! Beets are so rich in color and taste. Love what you have done with them.
Thanks! I’m glad to have found a new way to enjoy beets as they are pretty much year round crop for us. 🙂
This is so beautiful and something I can see serving up over Easter weeks.
Oh wow this loks totally awesome Kellie, healthy and scrummy – thanks for sharing:-)
Cheers for the kind comment, Camilla. I am seriously in love with this dish! 🙂
This looks goooorgeous! So lovely and colourful. I’ll admit though, I’m with your husband on the potato front – you’ve now got me craving mash 😉
Ha ha! I mentioned to him that I mentioned him (if you follow me) in the post re his unrequited love for potatoes, and he just kind of grumbled. Poor thing. I must make him some mashed potatoes soon to get on his good side again. Thanks for the lovely comment, Becca. 🙂
Lovely recipe – I would choose parsnip over potato any day! Check out my post from last week though and you’ll see the little known health benefits of potatoes!
Jerusalem artichokes contain plenty of inulin, a type of prebiotic fiber that has been credited with a number of health benefits due to its medicinal properties. Many of these health effects can be attributed to the ability of inulin to stimulate the growth of bifidobacteria. Naturally present in the large intestine, bifidobacteria fight harmful bacteria in the intestines, prevent constipation, and give the immune system a boost. Furthermore, evidence indicates that bifidobacteria help reduce intestinal concentrations of certain carcinogenic enzymes.
It does indeed. Thanks for sharing. As a cancer health educator I certainly appreciate the helpful job such pre- and probiotic foods have on the gut biome. Much better tastier than capsules for gut health!
You have no Irish genes then Kellie!
Oh God Sally! My maiden name is Fitzpatrick!! I’m a traitor, obvs 😉
This gratin looks amazingly vibrant and inviting with all the colors & flavors you have added, Kellie! I am nuts about Jerusalem artichokes & they must taste so good in this brilliant dish!
Reblogged this on Cappuccino and commented:
Awesome
WOW! You always amaze me with your recipes. Great job!
I am completely with you about potatoes, I cook them regularly for my boys and fully extol their vit C virtues, but I’d much rather have an array of other root vegetables 🙂 love your dish xx Happy Easter sweetie xx
Beautiful photos! Love it!
This is truly a perfect dish for easter and many more occasions. Looks so beautiful & delicious 🙂
Reblogged this on Karmen Pirh Health & Fitness.
This is just beautiful Kellie. Thank you so much for sharing with Credit Crunch Munch.
Amazing photos. I want some!
Reblogged this on the animals and commented:
hey guys i have found a blog full of healthy foods check it out!!
kelliesfoodtoglow.com
I bet it’s as good as it looks!