February 22, 2015

Roasted Winter Vegetables with Leafy Green Pesto

Taking a trip to the farmers market at any point in the year is exciting for me, but winter is the season I believe you can be the most adventurous. This weekend, one vendor in particular had this huge, heated truck full of root vegetables and leafy greens that I couldn’t wait to try. 
Although there were several winter vegetables to choose from, I went the real scary guys – e.g. celery root, rutabaga and parsnips. I remember when I worked at WIC we had this Sesame Street video about fruits and vegetables that we would play for the kids in the waiting area and the rutabaga felt left out/ignored. You have to laugh a little at the fact that that’s pretty true…it’s not often you find these vegetables as common staples at the dinner table. 
So here’s your chance to give them a try! I think you’ll be happy you did. 

1. Preheat oven to 425. Coat a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place diced vegetables in a large mixing bowl.

3. Combine kale, spinach, parsley, basil, shallot, garlic, walnuts, juice of 1/2 lemon and olive oil in a blender or food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Pour half of the pesto over the vegetables and toss to combine. Transfer mixture to the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 15 minutes, stir, then bake 15 minutes longer, or until lightly golden brown and cooked through.

5. Carefully place roasted vegetables in the mixing bowl with the remaining pesto and toss gently. Squeeze the juice of the remaining lemon half over the top. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl or platter and top with more freshly grated cheese.



Roasted Winter Vegetables with Leafy Green Pesto
Serves 10

All you need:
1 celery root, peeled and diced
1 rutabaga, peeled and diced
3 small parsnips, peeled and diced

Pesto
1 small bunch kale, stemmed and torn into pieces
1 cup baby spinach
1/4 bunch flat leaf parsley
5 fresh basil leaves
1 shallot, peeled and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts
Juice of 1 lemon, divided
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (plus more for garnish)
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

All you do:
1. Preheat oven to 425. Coat a large baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place diced vegetables in a large mixing bowl.
3. Combine kale, spinach, parsley, basil, shallot, garlic, walnuts, juice of 1/2 lemon and olive oil in a blender or food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Pour half of the pesto over the vegetables and toss to combine. Transfer mixture to the baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 15 minutes, stir, then bake 15 minutes longer, or until lightly golden brown and cooked through.
5. Carefully place roasted vegetables in the mixing bowl with the remaining pesto and toss gently. Squeeze the juice of the remaining lemon half over the top. Transfer mixture to a serving bowl or platter and top with more freshly grated cheese.

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