cooked root vegetables on white serving dish
First Fall Vegetables with Herbs and Gremolata by Phoebe Cole-Smith

While I shop at the Westport Farmers' Market whenever I’m back in town - I love to get my veg from Fort Hill, Riverbank + The Hickories - I now mostly cook on the island of Chappaquiddick.

This is a recipe for a seasonal side dish that I’ve been making for many years, adapted from Chef Suzanne Goin, and it’s really more of a method than a recipe as the ingredients can be varied based on what root vegetables you have on hand. For example daikon radish, beets, or rutabaga could also be used. You can also use leeks instead of shallots, and switch up the herbs for rosemary, fennel or savory. Although, don’t skip the gremolata! It is the perfect finishing touch to brighten and bring complexity to the final dish.

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Ingredients (serves 6-8)

  • zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 small bunch flat leaf parsley
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 bunch small carrots, peeled, trimmed (leave a bit of the tops!) and cut lengthwise
  • 1 bunch small parsnips, peeled, trimmed
  • 1 bunch salad turnips, trimmed (leave a bit of the tops) and halved lengthwise or quartered
  • 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped sage
  • 1 small head celeriac, peeled, sliced into quarter inch batons
  • 3 large shallots, thinly sliced
  • olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • flaky sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Instructions

  1. Make the gremolata: Using a vegetable peeler, remove just the outer skin of the lemon, then slice the strips into fine julienne. Pick the leaves from the parsley, reserving the stems for another use. Place the parsley and minced garlic on top of the lemon zest and chop the ingredients together until very fine.
  2. Heat two large cast iron skillets over medium high heat until very hot. Add olive oil to coat the bottom of each pan and add the vegetables, dividing them between the two skillets to encourage browning (vs. steaming). Season with salt + freshly ground pepper, add the thyme and sage, and continue to stir frequently, adding a little more olive oil if sticking to the pan.
  3. When the vegetables begin to caramelize and become tender, add the sliced shallot and the butter. Continue cooking until all the vegetables are cooked through and somewhat caramelized. Turn off the heat and toss with the gremolata just before serving.

 

 

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