Day 18 - In Appreciation Of The Lowly Root Vegetable

In the social strata of the produce kingdom, there exists a carefully determined hierarchy.  At the top, the aristocracy, if you will, are morels, rapini, Rainier cherries and arugula.  Then there's the middle class -- those ordinary, working class veggies that appear on tables everywhere -- green peppers, iceberg lettuce, Delicious apples and corn.  The lowliest of the low in this produce kingdom are the root vegetables.  Perhaps it's because they often come to us with just a little bit of dirt on them, a reminder of their previous home.  Or maybe it's because we can't just eat them as they are.  They have to be scrubbed and peeled first.  Or it could be because they just aren't as pretty as the rest of the produce.

But these often grubby looking vegetables can be transformed into the jewels of the kingdom by nothing more than a cookie sheet and a very hot oven.  Root vegetables hold a secret cache of sugar and by roasting them, that sugar is intensified to the point that the vegetables become as sweet as candy.  I roasted parsnips, carrots, rutabaga and beets for this dish, Roasted Root Vegetables with Quinoa, based on a recipe I found on the Whole Foods website.  I took out the fat by roasting the veggies with just a mist of non-stick spray.  I've modified the recipe below to reflect the changes I made.

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Root Veggies

2 yellow or red beets, diced

3 carrots, diced

3 parsnips, cored and diced

1 small rutabaga, diced
non-stick vegetable spray (PAM)

pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

1 cup uncooked quinoa

Juice of 1 lemon

2 cups vegetable stock or water

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 small red onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Peel all veggies and cut into a large dice.  Be sure to cut in the same thicknesses so that all veggies cook equally.  Spread on a non-stick or parchment-lined cookie sheet, separating the beets from the rest of the veggies.  Spray lightly with PAM and sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake for about 40 - 50 minute or until browned and soft.   Remove from oven..

While roasting the veggies, put the quinoa, lemon juice, stock or water and thyme into a small pot. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, until quinoa is tender. Remove from heat and set aside to let cool to room temperature.  Quinoa can also be made in a rice cooker.

Put quinoa, roasted carrots, rutabaga, and parsnips into a large bowl and toss. Add beets, onions, parsley, salt and pepper and toss lightly.  This can be served with your favorite salad dressing.  Veggies can be stored in the fridge or frozen and added to quinoa later, either cold or warmed.  You can also serve over spring greens or baby spinach.