sun on a sunday. a combination that calls for communion with earth. a long walk reveals gift after gift sprung up from the soil. the sculpted succulents of southern california stand motionless, loving the light, in full expression of their durable truth. returning to the kitchen to assemble a warm salad, my thoughts turn to what beauty lies beneath us. root vegetables--those sweet, hearty jewels--are the centerpiece of this richly colored and textured salad. as the days get half eaten by darkness, share this with friends, and be reminded of the hidden blessings worth digging for.
warm winter vegetable salad
(serves 4)
1 sweet potato, peeled and choped into wedges 1 1/2 - 2 inches in length
2 medium-sized carrots, peeled and chopped into 1 1/2 - 2 inch wedges
2 parsnips, peeled, cut into quarters vertically, tough core removed, and chopped into 1 1/2 - 2 inch wedges
1 celery root (also called celeraic), peeled and chopped into 1 1/2 inch wedges
2 beets, peeled and chopped into quarters or eighths, depending on their size
3 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt & pepper
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon aged balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon or whole-grain mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1 cup flat leaf parsely leaves
preheat oven to 425 with racks placed in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. spread the sweet potato, carrots, parsnips, celery root, and beets on a rimmed baking sheet large enough to fit all of them. drizzle the 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper. use your hands to toss them all together so they get an even coat of olive oil. roast for 30 minutes on the upper oven rack. during the last five minutes, place the walnuts on another baking sheet and pop them in the oven.
while the vegetables roast, prepare the dressing. combine the balsamic, mustard, and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl. drizzle in the 2 tablespoons of olive oil while whisking.
as soon as the vegetables and walnuts are done, remove them from the oven and scrape them into a large mixing bowl with the parsely. pour the dressing over and toss to coat. place a serving on individual plates and top each with a crumble of feta. season with a little salt and pepper. serve immediately.
notes
* this salad was slightly adapted from sophie dahl's in her book, miss dahl's volutuous delights
* i garnished each plate with a little parsely-hazelnut pesto, a very simple condiment that keeps well in the fridge for a few weeks. place 1 cup of roasted hazelnuts (skins removed as best as possible) and 2 cups of flat leaf parsely leaves in a food processor. season with a little salt and pepper. pulse several times until the leaves and nuts are broken down and resemble a coarse meal. with the processor running, drizzle in 3/4 cup (or more, depending on your desired consistency) extra virgin olive oil. i keep it in a squeeze bottle to drizzle over salads, sandwiches, eggs, and toast.
* you may subsitute squash for any of the root vegetables. it would also be delicious.