These root vegetable stacks are a great example of what you can prepare with just a few ingredients, and at those times when you have nothing planned for dinner. Thinking of what to make for dinner always sits in the back of my mind throughout the day, no matter what else is going on. The other day I was experiencing a busy and challenging day. I knew I needed to go grocery shopping but didn’t have the time. So I resigned to the idea that I would just work with whatever I had in the kitchen when I got home. By the time it was over, I was reminded that sometimes breaking the pattern of relying on regular grocery staples is just the ticket I need to get the creative culinary juices flowing. What is the point of this story? When you are charged with preparing dinner and all you have on hand is a yam, a beet, and some mushrooms, take a pause, make like you are in a cottage in Provence, and romance some garden herbs and that jar of Dijon mustard sitting in the back of the fridge! In most cases, simpler is actually a lot better. Embrace what you have, make it the star, and you will never go wrong!
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provençal root vegetable stacks with wild mushroom ragout
Makes 4 “stacks” 1 medium-large yam (choose length over thickness), sliced into 8 thick slices, ends saved for another use 1 medium beet, cut into 4 slices, thinner than the yams due to difference in cooking time 4 tbsp. +/- olive oil 2 tbsp. mixed fresh rosemary & thyme, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 1 shallot, sliced thin 1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms of any kind (flavorful wild mushrooms make better ragout) Dry cooking wine or sherry (optional) 1/2 cup peeled, seeded & diced tomatoes in their juices (or canned diced tomatoes) 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 1 tsp. arrow root powder diluted in 1 1/4 cup warm vegetable broth (substitute corn starch if needed) Salt & pepper to taste Your choice of garnish
First of all, decide whether you want to peel the yams ahead of time. I like to cook them with the peel, and then it comes off easily after the slices are cooked. For the beet, just scrub well, or peel, it’s up to you.
Preheat oven to 400º. Mix 3 tbsp. of the olive oil with the herbs and garlic, add some salt & pepper, and mix. Immerse each slice of yam in the oil on both sides until coated, and place in a Dutch oven or ceramic roasting pot with a fitting lid. Follow this with the beets. Place some of the thyme and rosemary stems over the vegetables. Place the lid on top and roast covered for 45 minutes. If you don’t have a Dutch oven or roasting pot, you can wrap the yam slices together in foil, and the beets together in a separate foil pouch. The idea is to lock in the moisture and flavor.
Meanwhile, make the ragout. Put the remaining olive oil in a sauce pan, add the shallots and begin to brown the shallots. Add the mushrooms and sautée until they become tender. Turn up the heat, add the optional wine and deglaze, stirring up any caramelized bits until the wine is evaporated. Add the tomatoes, Dijon mustard, and vegetable broth with arrow root. Simmer until it becomes a silky, gravy-like consistency (but much silkier and smoother than traditional gravy). Taste for salt & pepper.
When the vegetables are ready, remove from the oven, peel yams if necessary, and assemble your stacks by placing first a yam slice, then some mushroom ragout, then a beet slice, then more mushroom ragout, and then a second yam slice. Top the stack with a finishing touch of more ragout. Repeat until your four stacks are assembled.
Garnish with a little chopped parsley or a rosemary sprig. Enjoy with a simple spinach and radicchio salad, rice, or quinoa.
Provencal Root Vegetable Stacks with Wild Mushroom Ragout
Ingredients
- 1 medium yam sliced into 8 thick slices, ends saved for another use, choose length over thickness
- 1 medium beet cut into 4 slices, thinner than the yams due to differencecooking time
- 4 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. rosemary chopped
- 1 tbsp. thyme chopped
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 each shallot sliced thin
- 1 1/2 cups wild mushrooms any variety-- flavorful wild mushrooms make better ragout
- dry cooking wine or sherry optional
- 1/2 cup diced tomatoes peeled and seeded (or canned diced tomatoes)
- 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. arrow root powder substitute corn starch if needed
- 1 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- Salt & pepper to taste
- your choice of garnish
Instructions
- First of all, decide whether you want to peel the yams ahead of time. I like to cook them with the peel, and then it comes off easily after the slices are cooked. For the beet, just scrub well, or peel, it’s up to you.
- Preheat oven to 400º. Mix 3 tbsp. of the olive oil with the herbs and garlic, add some salt & pepper, and mix. Immerse each slice of yam in the oil on both sides until coated, and place in a Dutch oven or ceramic roasting pot with a fitting lid.
- Follow this with the beets. Place some of the thyme and rosemary stems over the vegetables. Place the lid on top and roast covered for 45 minutes. If you don’t have a Dutch oven or roasting pot, you can wrap the yam slices together in foil, and the beets together in a separate foil pouch. The idea is to lock in the moisture and flavor. Meanwhile, make the ragout.
- Place the vegetable broth in a small sauce pan on low heat and dissolve the arrow root in the broth. This will be the thickening agent for the ragout.
- Put the remaining olive oil in a sauce pan, add the shallots and begin to brown the shallots. Add the mushrooms and sautée until they become tender. Turn up the heat, add the optional wine and deglaze, stirring up any caramelized bits until the wine is evaporated. Add the tomatoes, Dijon mustard.
- Add the vegetable broth with arrow root. Simmer until it becomes a silky, gravy-like consistency (but much silkier and smoother than traditional gravy). Taste for salt & pepper.
- When the vegetables are ready, remove from the oven, peel yams if necessary, and assemble your stacks by placing first a yam slice, then some mushroom ragout, then a beet slice, then more mushroom ragout, and then a second yam slice. Top the stack with a finishing touch of more ragout. Repeat until your four stacks are assembled.
- Garnish with a little chopped parsley or a rosemary sprig. Enjoy with a simple spinach and radicchio salad, rice, or quinoa.