Pan-caramelized vegetable chunks with gremolata
One of the joys of shopping at a farmers' market is seeing the beautiful array of vegetables, some of which you may never have eaten before.
Except for a few slices at a restaurant in the past, daikon radishes were new to me. They are as long as carrots, but much fatter with the same crispy texture as smaller radishes. The Happy Boys Farm sign said they could be sautéed as a side dish.
I used the daikon radishes with a mixture of other winter vegetables to make golden brown chunks of tasty food tossed with gremolata, also new to me. Gremolata is simply lemon peel minced finely with parsley and garlic. Make this recipe as a side dish and serve it hot.
I think you will like it. It really helps to have a good friend with a Meyer lemon tree in their yard.
Ingredients
- Daikon radishes carrots fingerling potatoes parsnips turnips onions fennel
- 2 large shallots, peeled and sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Smart Balance butter substitute or butter
- Salt and pepper
- 1 lemon peel, save the lemon for another use
- 1/2 cup parsley, loosely packed and coarsely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
Directions
- Cut the vegetables into chunks about 1/2 inch in the various dimensions. I don't peel turnips, potatoes, or fennel. Cut up enough to cover the bottom of your largest sauté pan in a single layer.
- Over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Sauté the vegetable chunks for about ten minutes. Add the butter and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the shallots and sauté for an additional 5 minutes until tender and caramelized. Season with salt.
- Mince the lemon peel, parsley and garlic all together for the gremolata.
- Toss the warm vegetables with the gremolata and serve.