Spring Root Vegetables with Fresh Herbs

I recently relocated back to Montana, where spring is just beginning and the temperatures are still cool.  The local farmer’s market is in full swing but fresh vegetables are just starting to arrive.  Among them are radishes and Japanese or baby turnips, some of the most delicious brassicas due to their spicy yet tender nature.  Turnips are so often overlooked or overcooked and radishes are rare, generally relegated to salads and garnish, I wanted to offer a spring side dish featuring both roots in all their flavorful glory.  Though both brassicas can easily be eaten raw, steaming them mellows their flavor and softens their crunch.  I have a variety of fresh herbs growing on my back porch and I simply pruned a few, chopped them and added them to the marinade, which leads me to believe most combinations would be excellent.  These spring root vegetables would go well with a leek galette and roasted green beans.

I used a combination of savory, basil, parsley and sage in the marinade, but any fresh herbs will work.

1 bunch or 8-10 radishes, trimmed and halved if large

1 bunch or 8-10 Japanese or baby turnips, trimmed and halved if large

1 tbsp red onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp fresh herbs, finely chopped

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

1. Combine herbs, olive oil and red onion in a small bowl and set aside.  Meanwhile, steam the turnips and radishes until barely tender.  Once the vegetables are tender, remove from heat, place in a medium bowl and set aside.

2. After the vegetables have cooled slightly, pour the marinade over the vegetables and gently fold to thoroughly combine.  Marinate for at least one hour before serving.  

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve warm, room temperature or chilled.  

Serves 3-4

Brassicas Marinated with Fresh Herbs

Blanched brassicas may be my favorite way to eat them because they become milder, tender and brilliantly colored. Because they are members of the mustard family, brassica flavors tend to be similar and so compliment each other well. Brassicas are also known as crucifers or cross bearing due to their four-petaled flowers reminiscent of crosses. I first made this salad for a friend's birthday, to compliment an Italian inspired meal. Marinated brassicas can be served with any number of other side dishes including creamy polenta and mashed carrots.

Other combinations of herbs will work as well. I used baby spinach but arugula or mixed greens would be good too. More garlic may be used depending upon preference.

1 small bunch of broccoli, stemmed and cut into florets

1 medium head of cauliflower, stemmed and cut into florets

1 medium carrot, peeled and julienned

1 c radishes, sliced lengthwise into thin rounds

1 small red pepper, trimmed and diced

1 onion, trimmed and finely diced

1 clove of garlic, pressed or chopped

¼ c basil, finely chopped

¼ c parsley, finely chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

2 c baby greens

salt and pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Working in individual batches, blanch cauliflower (1-2 minutes), broccoli (1-2 minutes), radishes (1-2 minutes) and carrots (2-3 minutes) until brightly colored and slightly tender. Once cooked, place each vegetable under cold running water to stop the cooking process. Gently towel dry and add to large mixing bowl. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the red pepper and continue sautéing until soft. Turn heat off, add garlic and herbs, stir to combine and allow to cook off heat until fragrant, about 1 minute.

3. Add sautéed vegetables to the blanched brassicas and gently combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and allow to marinate for a few hours at room temperature. Serve over baby greens.

Serves 3-4