The season of Lent is a time for reflecting on the sacrifice that Jesus made. A tradition that both Eric and I grew up with was to abstain from meat on Fridays. It is a very small act, but it serves as a reminder to us throughout the day. This is a tradition that we have continued with our family.
Now, eating fish and seafood on Fridays is great, but it sort of feels a bit like cheating. Plus, living in the Midwest, fish is considered a step up for us for dinner, so it doesn't always feel like such a sacrifice on our part. With that in mind, I have been attempting to find truly meatless meals to serve our family.
I came across the recipe for root vegetable tarte tatin in the latest issue of Bon Appetit. It was rather time intensive due to having to make pie crust, pre-roast the vegetables, and make a simple syrup. The final product, though, was very flavorful and was a hit with Eric and Nathaniel. It's earthy and the added syrup adds quite a bit of sweetness. This isn't an every night meal, but we will be making this again.
 |
| vegetable tarte tatin |
- Ingredients:
- 1 medium parsnip, peeled, sliced into ½” rounds
- 1 small red onion, sliced into ½” rounds
- ¼ cup olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1½ teaspoons chopped fresh sage
- 4 ounces fresh goat cheese
- 1 disk pie dough
- All-purpose flour (for surface)
Directions:
- 1) Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 400°. Toss potato, sweet potato, carrots, parsnip, and onion with oil on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper and arrange vegetables in a single layer. Roast until golden around the edges and tender, 30–35 minutes. Let cool.
- 2) Meanwhile, cook sugar and 2 Tbsp. water in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, swirling pan occasionally, until mixture is amber-colored, 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat and add vinegar and a pinch of salt, swirling pan to combine. Quickly pour caramel into a 9”-diameter pie pan; tilt and rotate pan to evenly coat bottom with caramel. Scatter rosemary and sage over top.
- 3) Arrange potatoes, carrots, and parsnips snugly in a single layer on top of caramel, using smaller carrot and parsnip pieces to fill in any holes. Scatter onion rings and crumble goat cheese over vegetables.
- 4) Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to a 12” round. Drape over vegetables, tucking edges into pan. Prick dough all over with a fork. Bake until crust looks dry, about 20 minutes; reduce heat to 350° and bake until crust is golden brown, 15–20 minutes.
- 5) Let tart cool 5 minutes before inverting carefully onto a large plate.
Link to Recipe.
-Anna
