Root vegetable rescue missionI have a hot date tonight with my refrigerator. I plan to clean it out from top to bottom before I host a party this weekend, knowing some unsavory leftovers and expired items await. In a nook of the bottom left crisper bin, however, is a bag of carrots that I’m convinced could withstand nuclear apocalypse. I can’t tell you when, exactly, I bought them. I was a different person then. But I do know that, despite their relatively unmarred appearance, they are months old. Stored properly to avoid moisture and air (in a tightly sealed bag or container, removing any green tops), carrots can really hold up, a useful reminder for those of us leaving and returning to our homes this holiday season. The root vegetable is like a childhood friend — you can pick up right where you left off despite some time apart. So during periods of frequent travel, grab some carrots, parsnips, turnips or sweet potatoes before you go, knowing you can return to Sarah Jampel’s loaded sweet potatoes with black beans and Cheddar. And if you happen to have other durable produce, like a hearty chicory or a sturdy cruciferous vegetable, you can make Sheela Prakash’s caramelized carrot and halloumi salad, replete with crisped pita chips and kale dressed in olive oil, red wine vinegar, za’atar and honey, or Lisa Donovan’s French lentil salad, with burgundy tendrils of radicchio strewed throughout. One-Pan Roasted Vegetables and PolentaYewande Komolafe’s one-pan roasted vegetables and polenta is equally fit for the task, combining sweet potatoes (or carrots or parsnips) with brussels sprouts, another vegetable that has lasted in my fridge longer than most movies stay in theaters. Here, cornmeal and water bake up into polenta that is then crumbled and tossed with the vegetables, which are seasoned with shallots, garlic, sage and lots of lemon. For those of you who participate in a C.S.A., or community-supported agriculture program, you have most likely been bestowed parsnips or turnips at least once without much of a plan for them. Next time, try Yotam Ottolenghi’s simple yet flavorful recipe for parsnips with miso and Parmesan, one of those dishes that’s just as good a side as it is a warm salad on its own. Hetty Lui McKinnon pairs tender pan-fried hakurei turnips with whipped pistachio feta for a vibrant entry into my favorite category of dish: Sauce Goes Under Not Over. (See: this, this, this and this.) Which brings me back to carrots, and to Hetty’s roasted carrots with mole encacahuatado. Her recipe layers cumin-scented carrots atop a sauce fragrant with allspice and cinnamon, inspired by a Mexican peanut mole. I don’t know if my crisper-stored carrots are quite in centerpiece form. I’ll find out soon enough. But as I always say: What a simple vegetable preparation exposes, a carrot-orange olive oil cake can hide.
Loaded Sweet Potatoes With Black Beans and Cheddar
Caramelized Carrot and Halloumi Salad
Parsnips With Miso and ParmesanFor a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started. One More Thing!It’s prime year-in-review time, folks. We’ve got the best books. We’ve got the best movies. And, of course, we’ve got the best cookbooks (according to us) and the best NYT Cooking recipes (according to you). Did your favorites make the list(s)? Thanks for reading, and see you next week! Email us at theveggie@nytimes.com. Newsletters are archived here. Reach out to my colleagues at cookingcare@nytimes.com if you have questions about your account.
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