This is a tough time of year, especially when it comes to getting out of bed in the morning. So it’s maybe not surprising that some clever clogs decided to dub the third Monday of January Blue Monday on the grounds that it’s allegedly the most depressing day of the year. I don’t know about that, but I do know that life right now makes most sense when hiding under the duvet.
It’s fitting, then, that the vegetables that make most sense at this time are those that have been hiding, too, under the ground and well away from it all. I’m talking about the roots and tubers (potato, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, jerusalem artichoke and so on) and the lower stems and bulbs (beetroot, celeriac, radish and onion) that can bring a flourish of colour to even the bluest Monday.
After all, it’s pretty hard to feel flat when you’ve sliced the veg thin and eaten them raw in a bright winter slaw. If, however, you crave sweet comfort, you’ll need to expose the vegetables to some form of heat to satisfy your needs. It’s in their roots and bulbs that vegetables store their starch, and it’s this that is broken down and converted to sugar when they are subjected to heat. So, be warm, be sweet, be orange, be pink, be purple: just be anything but blue.
Root vegetable slaw with stilton
I love the combination of stilton and vegetables, but this works without the cheese, if you prefer. If you have one, a mandoline is the ideal tool for cutting the vegetables as thin as you want them. Eat it by itself as a light meal or starter, or serve with some grilled oily fish. Serves four.
150ml white-wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp caster sugar
3 medium carrots, peeled and shaved into very thin, long, wide strips
1 large parsnip, peeled and shaved into very thin, long, wide strips
120g radish, shaved into very thin slices
1 small red onion, peeled and cut into very thin slices
1 small beetroot, shaved into very thin slices
20g parsley leaves, roughly chopped
2½ tbsp olive oil
2 tsp lemon juice
80g stilton, broken into 1-2cm pieces
Put the vinegar and 500ml water in a bowl with one and a half teaspoons of salt and the sugar, and stir to dissolve. Put the carrot, parsnip, radish and onion in a medium bowl, pour over 550ml of the vinegar mix, then press down the veg so they are almost submerged; refrigerate for 30 minutes. Put the beetroot in a small bowl, pour over the rest of the vinegar mix (100ml), press down so the beetroot is submerged, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Tip the carrot mix into a sieve and shake to dislodge as much liquid as possible (if need be, pat the veg dry with kitchen towel); discard the liquid. Put in a large bowl, add the parsley, oil and lemon juice, and gently toss. Strain and dry the beetroot, and keep separate.
To serve, divide about a quarter of the vegetables between four plates and top with a few slices of beetroot and some stilton. Repeat in three more layers, to build up a multicoloured salad, then serve.
Roast potato and jerusalem artichoke with black garlic
I could eat this on its own, perhaps with a sharp salad alongside, but it works very well as a side dish, too – try it with the Sunday roast. Serves six.
1kg baby charlotte potatoes, unpeeled, cut in half lengthways and then again in half lengthways
500g jerusalem artichokes, peeled and cut lengthways into halves or quarters, depending on size
75ml olive oil
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp picked thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 large red onions, peeled and cut into 2cm wedges
½ tsp finely grated lemon zest, plus 1 tbsp lemon juice
1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
20g black garlic (about 8 cloves)
10g coriander leaves, roughly chopped
10g mint leaves, roughly shredded
30g pumpkin seeds, toasted
Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Mix the potatoes and artichokes with two tablespoons of oil, the spices, thyme, a teaspoon and a quarter of salt and plenty of pepper. Spread out on a large oven tray lined with baking paper and roast for 15 minutes. Mix the onion wedges with a tablespoon of oil, stir into the tray and roast for 25-30 minutes longer, stirring once or twice, until all the vegetables are crisp and golden-brown. Set aside for 10 minutes.
While the veg are resting, put the lemon zest, lemon juice, chilli, black garlic, two tablespoons of oil and a quarter-teaspoon of salt in a mortar and crush to a rough paste. Gently stir this mixture into the vegetables with the coriander, mint and pumpkin seeds, and serve at once.
Crushed root vegetables with crisp brussels sprouts
You’ll speed things up considerably if you cut the sprouts on a mandoline (or with the slicer attachment of a food processor). Serves six to eight
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 4-5cm pieces
2 parsnips, peeled and cut into 4-5cm pieces
½ celeriac, peeled, trimmed and cut into 4-5cm pieces
1 small butternut squash, trimmed, peeled and cut into 4-5cm pieces
1 head garlic, cut in half widthways
500ml vegetable stock
10g thyme sprigs
10g sage sprigs
2 bay leaves
3 cinnamon sticks
½ tsp allspice berries
2 red chillies, cut in half lengthways
45g unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
200ml sunflower oil
350g brussels sprouts, trimmed and cut into 0.5cm-thick slices
Heat the oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Scatter the carrots, parsnips, celeriac and squash in a high-sided, 25cm x 35cm baking tray, then add the garlic cut side up.
Put the stock in a saucepan with the herbs, spices, chillies, butter, a teaspoon of salt and a quarter-teaspoon of ground pepper. Bring to a boil and, once the butter has melted, pour all over the vegetables; tuck the herbs and spices here and there around the vegetables. Cover the tray with foil, sealing it tight, then bake for an hour. Remove the foil, and baste the vegetables – if there is not enough liquid left in the tray, add a few tablespoons of water. Return the tray to the oven, uncovered, and bake for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and starting to colour and there is barely any liquid left.
Transfer the roast veg to a large bowl, picking off and discarding the allspice berries. Pick out the other herbs and spices, and put to one side – you’ll use these for garnish. Squeeze the garlic out of its skin, stir into the vegetables and mash roughly, then keep in a warm spot.
Heat the oil in a medium frying pan on a medium-high heat, then fry half the sprouts for three to four minutes, until golden-brown and crisp. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sprouts to a bowl lined with kitchen towel, sprinkle on a pinch of salt and repeat with the other sprouts.
Spoon the vegetable mash on to a large platter and scatter the sprouts on top. Dot the reserved herbs, cinnamon sticks and chilli around the plate – they’re not to be eaten, but they look gorgeous – and serve.
Roast baby carrots with harissa and pomegranate
If you can’t get dandelion, use treviso radicchio or rocket. Serves four.
800g long baby carrots
2 tsp cumin seeds
1½ tbsp honey
2 tbsp rose harissa (or normal harissa)
20g unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt
30g long yellow dandelion leaves, cut in half widthways
10g coriander leaves, roughly chopped
60g pomegranate seeds (ie, roughly the amount you’d get from ½ pomegranate)
2 tsp lemon juice
Heat the oven to 230C/450F/gas mark 8. Wash and trim the carrots, leaving just a centimetre or two of stem on each, then peel. You want 10cm-long and 1.5cm thin pieces of carrot, so, depending on their size, leave them whole, or cut them lengthways in half or even quarters, to the required size. In a large bowl, combine the cumin, honey, harissa, butter, oil and three-quarters of a teaspoon of salt, mix in the carrots to coat and spread out on a large oven tray lined with baking paper; don’t crowd them, so use two trays if need be.
Roast for 12-14 minutes, until the carrots begin to brown but still retain a bite. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. Mix in the remaining ingredients and serve.
