It is the season of root vegetables. That means turnips, parsnips, rutabagas, celeriac, etc.
I had a boat load of root vegetables that I wanted to use. I also had a wonderful loaf of bread from upper crust bakery that I got at the farmers market that I wanted to use. It is a lemon rosemary bread, delicious!!
I was thinking of a soup with bread, but we already had soup this week. Then I thought of a nice warm dip… Can anything taste bad gratin style?? If you don’t know gratin is basically a topping of cheese and breadcrumbs.
First I gathered my roots: Parsnips, Celeriac, Turnips and carrots.
Ever see a celeriac??
It is celery root. It looks like a tough vegetable to tackle, but the skin is super easy to cut.
After I peeled and cut my vegetables into small pieces, I boiled them for 8 minutes or so. While they were boiling I sautéed some onions in olive oil, then added about 1 cup of milk and 2 tablespoons of flour. Once it was all mixed in, I took it off the heat and added some grated cheddar cheese.
In a casserole dish (or a cake pan) I added a layer of veggies, some of the milk mixture, more veggies, another layer of the the milk mixture and then topped off with Parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs.
Put it in the oven at 400 degrees F for half an hour. Then broil it on high for 2 – 3 minutes until the desired crispness.
Like I said, does anything taste bad gratin style? Maybe hot dogs…
Next time I am going to make more of the milk mixture. I ran out so it did not come out as creamy as I would have liked.
Celeriac, like celery does not have too much nutrition value except for fiber. Hey I’ll take it!
Turnips also provide a good source of fiber, but also provide a good source of Vitamin C as well. Parsnips are a good source of fiber, Vitamin C and folate. Finally carrots are a good source of fiber, potassium and an excellent source of Vitamin A and K.
Root vegetables can be fun. If you think you don’t like them add some cheese. The reason I say ‘think’ is because many many people think that they may not like a vegetable, but just did not have it cooked properly. Just like how my Mom felt about zucchini until I made zucchini and put it on the pizza and ate the entire slice 
If you are looking to try new recipes try these awesome awesome and delicious Gingersnap Cookies with cream cheese frosting and this Thai Red Curry with Kobucha squash. Both delicious and easy to make.
Have a good night!
