Golden Celebration Pie of Winter Vegetables
All the orphans of the vegetable world turn into stars in this party pie. Rutabaga, celeriac, parsnip, Brussels sprouts and turnips could each or all go into the pan, just remember to balance earthy tastes with sweet and rich ones like onion, potato, yam, or carrot. Cut harder vegetables into smaller pieces for even cooking. Roast the vegetables a day or two ahead. Warm them before baking with the crust. The pie is good hot from the oven or just warm.
Vegetables:
3 medium onions, cut into six chunks each
4 small unpeeled red-skin potatoes, halved
1 medium rutabaga or large turnip, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces
1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved
½ small cabbage, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick pieces
4 branches fresh thyme
20 fresh sage leaves
20 fresh basil leaves
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (optional)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10 cloves garlic, halved
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
In a large bowl, toss together the vegetables, herbs, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil (enough to lightly coat them) and salt and pepper.
Spread the vegetables on two large, shallow roasting pans.
Roast about an hour, turning several times during cooking for even browning.
Add garlic to the pans halfway through cooking.
Vegetables are done when they are browned and easily pierced with a knife.
Cool, wrap and refrigerate until ready to make the pie.
Crust:
1 ½ cups (7.5 ounces) all-purpose unbleached flour
Generous ¼ teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 stick (4 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 large egg, beaten
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
Combine dry ingredients in a food processor or large bowl.
Cut in butter until it is the size of peas.
Add the first egg and 2 tablespoons of water.
Pulse just until dough gathers into clumps, or toss with a fork until moistened.
If dry, work in another ½ to 1 tablespoon water.
Turn dough out on a floured board and let rest a few minutes.
Select a shallow baking dish large enough to hold the vegetables in a mound.
Measure the dish then roll out the dough so it is no more than 1/8-inch thick and at least 5 inches larger than the dish.
Put it on a foil-covered pizza pan or cookie sheet and refrigerate 30 minutes to 24 hours.
Assembly:
½ cup vegetable broth or water
2 egg yolks, beaten in a small bowl
About 50 minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Butter the inside and rim of the baking dish.
Warm the vegetables in the oven.
Pour the broth or water into the baking dish then pile in the vegetables.
Turn the chilled dough over onto the vegetables, gently peeling back its foil.
Fold up and crimp the overhang of pastry to make a raised border atop the rim of the baking dish (extra pastry could be cut into decorative pieces and applied to the crust with beaten egg).
Brush the crust with beaten egg and cut a few vent holes.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.
Serve hot or warm.
Serves 8.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette
1 pound Brussels sprouts (about 4 cups)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup water
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Soak the Brussels sprouts in a large bowl of water for 10 minutes; drain.
Spread the Brussels sprouts in a large baking dish and drizzle them with olive oil.
In a large bowl combine the balsamic vinegar, garlic, and mustard; mix well.
Pour the vinaigrette over the sprouts.
Add the water to the bottom of the baking dish.
Bake until the Brussels Sprouts are tender-firm, 30 to 45 minutes.
Roasted Brussel Sprouts with Pomegranate Dressing, Dried Cherries & Toasted Walnuts
1¼ pounds Brussel sprouts, trimmed and cut into halves lengthwise
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon honey
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice, plus 4 small lime wedges for serving
¼ cups coarsely chopped dried cherries
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
¼ cup toasted walnuts
2 tablespoons very roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus a few sprigs for garnish
2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
Heat the oven to 475 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, toss the Brussels sprouts with the oil and ¾ teaspoon salt.
Arrange the sprouts in a 9”x13” baking dish (they will be very snug).
Roast, stirring once or twice during cooking, until nicely browned and tender, 25 to 27 minutes.
Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Combine the pomegranate juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, and lime juice in a small saucepan.
Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture is reduced by about one third. (It will be a bit more vicious but still loose).
Remove the pan from the heat, add the dried cherries and the butter, and stir until the butter is just melted and creamy. (Don’t reheat the mixture).
Pour the sauce over the roasted sprouts and stir gently but thoroughly.
Add most of the walnuts and herbs and stir well again.
Transfer to a serving dish.
Garnish with the remaining nuts and herbs (and the herb sprigs).
Serve immediately with lime wedges for seasoning at the table.
Serves 4.
Autumn Dinner with Sausage, Pasta, Brussels Sprouts, and Butternut Squash
Here is a very detailed recipe on how to peel, seed, cube, and roast butternut squash.
3 cups butternut squash (peeled, seeded, cubed)
12 ounces Brussels sprouts
8 ounces bow tie pasta
12 ounces cooked smoked sausage
5 cloves garlic minced
4 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika to taste
Fresh thyme to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Make sure the butternut squash is peeled, seeded, and cubed.
In a large bowl, toss cubed butternut squash with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Spread the squash on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in one layer, without overcrowding.
Roast on the middle rack in the preheated oven at 400 F for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven.
You can roast Brussels sprouts on the same baking sheet (if large enough) and at the same time as butternut squash.
Trim ends of Brussels sprouts and remove yellow leaves.
Slice all Brussels sprouts in half.
In a medium bowl, toss Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Spread the Brussels sprouts on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet in one layer, without overcrowding.
Roast on the middle rack in the preheated oven at 400 F for 20 or 30 minutes.
You can roast them at the same time you roast butternut squash. Remove from oven.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
Add pasta and cook according to package instructions. Drain.
Proceed with the rest of the recipe while the pasta cooks.
While you roast the veggies and cook the pasta, proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, high-sided cast-iron skillet (or stainless steel) on medium heat.
Slice cooked sausage into coins and add to the skillet.
Cook on medium heat in a cast-iron skillet for 5 minutes on one side, then flip over and cook for about 3 minutes on the other side.
Remove the sausage from the skillet.
To the same, now empty, cast-iron skillet, add minced garlic.
Cook on low-medium heat for about 1 or 2 minutes or until the garlic softens.
Add butter.
Add cooked pasta and coat thoroughly with the garlic butter sauce on low-medium heat.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika to taste.
Add roasted butternut squash, roasted Brussels sprouts, cooked sausage, and fresh snipped thyme to the skillet with pasta.
Mix everything to coat the veggies with juices from the sausage and the garlic butter sauce.
Season with more salt and pepper, and a small amount of smoked paprika (you don’t need to use much), if desired.
If you used a large skillet, everything should fit. If not, work in batches.
Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad with Apples, Cranberries
and Maple-Cayenne Dressing
3 lbs Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and halved
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 shallots, sliced
2 red apples, cored and thinly sliced
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped roasted almonds
Maple-Cayenne Dressing
1/2 cup grape seed oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
3 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Put Brussels Sprouts in a large bowl.
Add oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper and toss together.
Transfer to a roasting pan and cover with aluminum foil.
Roast for about 20 minutes, until just tender.
Remove from oven, discard foil, and sprinkle shallots over sprouts.
Roast for an additional 15 minutes.
Remove and let cool.
To make dressing, combine oil, vinegar, maple syrup, water, cayenne pepper, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth.
Transfer to a bowl, add parsley and thyme, and whisk together.
Combine Brussels Sprouts, apple slices, cranberries, and almonds in a large bowl.
Add dressing, toss together, and serve.
Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Maple-Mustard Vinaigrette
1 pound Brussels Sprouts (about 4 cups)
3 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 clove minced garlic
1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 cup water
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
Soak the Brussels Sprouts in a large bowl of water for 10 minutes; drain.
Spread the Brussels sprouts in a large baking dish and drizzle them with olive oil.
In a large bowl combine the balsamic vinegar, garlic, and mustard; mix well.
Pour the vinaigrette over the sprouts.
Add the water to the bottom of the baking dish.
Bake until the Brussels Sprouts are tender-firm, 30 to 45 minutes.
Brussels Sprouts in Pecan Brown Butter
1 pound Brussels Sprouts
Salt for cooking water
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces pecans, chopped
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Trim the Brussels Sprouts and cut an X in the bottom of each one with a paring knife.
Boil the Brussels Sprouts in salted water until tender, about 8 minutes, then drain.
Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat and gently cook until it begins to turn light brown.
Add the pecans and toss to coat them with butter, cooking for a few minutes until lightly browned and fragrant.
Add the Brussels Sprouts and cook, stirring, until warmed through.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serves 4.
Seared Brussels Sprouts Braised with Apple Cider
12 large Brussels Sprouts
Salt to taste
Olive Oil
¼ Cup Apple Cider
Trim Brussels Sprouts and cut in half.
Heat a cast iron pan over medium flame.
Add some oil.
Sprinkle salt evenly over bottom of pan.
Lay Brussels Sprouts cut side down in the pan.
Cook until deep brown or almost black in some places, about 5 minutes.
Add apple cider, cover pan, and turn off heat.
Let them continue cooking off the heat another 5 minutes.
Serve with grilled chicken or black-eyed peas.
Makes 2 servings.
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Balsamic Vinegar
1 pound Brussels Sprouts
¼ pound Bacon, chopped
½ Cup finely chopped onions or shallots
1-2 Tbsp Butter
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste
Trim end off Brussels Sprouts and halve the large ones.
Blanch in boiling water or steam over boiling water until just tender.
Plunge into ice water to stop the cooking and preserve the bright green color, then drain well.
Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels.
Remove all but 2 Tbsp of bacon grease from pan.
Add onion; cook until brown.
Add Brussels Sprouts, butter, vinegar, salt, pepper, and bacon. Toss until hot.
Makes 4 servings.
Sesame Garlic Brussels Sprouts
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 1/2 pounds Brussels Sprouts, trimmed and halved
4-5 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, crushed pepper, garlic, and 3 tablespoons water in a large bowl.
Blanch the Brussels Sprouts in boiling water until partially tender, 3-4 minutes. Drain well.
Heat wok or large, heavy skillet over high flame until the air looks hazy over the pan, 2-4 minutes.
Add a small amount of the peanut oil, swirl the pan to coat the surface, and add about a third of the sprouts.
Stir-fry until bright green and crisp-tender. Drain on paper towels.
Stir-fry the remaining sprouts similarly, in batches.
Add stir-fried Brussels Sprouts to soy sauce mixture and toss well.
Serve immediately or allow Brussels Sprouts to marinate one or more hours before serving.
Makes 6 servings.
Open Hands Farm 