This recipe is from Chris Lanier at Modern Farmer.
“I don’t peel turnips, beets, and carrots before cooking them,” says Lanier. “When the skins and stem ends get a little burnt, they bring earthy dimension to any dish.”
Ingredients:
- 4 small turnips (about 1 pound), scrubbed
- 4 small beets (about 1 pound), scrubbed
- 8 small carrots (about ¾ pound), scrubbed
- ¾ cup cup olive oil
- Coarse salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small onion quartered
- 4 cloves garlic (not peeled), crushed
- 1 small bunch Swiss chard (about ½ pound), stems cut into 1-inch pieces, leaves cut into 1-inch strips
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Preparation:
- In a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat, cover turnips, beets, and carrots with 2 inches water and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are fork-tender, checking frequently after 15 minutes, as the vegetables will likely be ready at different times.
- Transfer vegetables to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and let cool.
- Preheat oven to 200°F. Meanwhile, using the bottom of a glass or small pan, gently smash vegetables.
- Heat oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, fry the vegetables, flipping once, until brown and crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Transfer to paper towel-lined baking sheet and season with salt and pepper; keep warm in oven while remaining vegetables cook.
- Carefully drain off all but 2 tablespoons oil and return pan to medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and Swiss chard stems and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions and garlic are light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add Swiss chard leaves and thyme and cook, stirring frequently, until leaves are wilted, about 3 minutes.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, then push greens mixture to one side of pan. Add butter to skillet; once it heats up and begins to foam, spoon it over greens mixture, tossing to combine.
- Arrange reserved root vegetables on a serving platter. Top with sautéed greens and spoon any remaining butter over top. Drizzle with maple syrup and serve immediately.