Rutabega, Turnip, and Apple Stew over Green Lentils

So this dish was inspired by a comment my girlfriend made on a trip to Chicago. We were in a cab talking about the meal we had the night before and I commented on the beets.

"Why does everyone cop out and cook beets this time of year. There are so many yummy root vegetables to choose from. Why don't people use something like Rutabaga?"

Well, thanks! Now we have a stew based in the heart of root vegetables and no beets or borsht to be found.

Time to cook: 4 Hours

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups Rutabaga
2. 2 cups Purple Top Turnip
3. 2 Medium Sized Tart Apples (I used Honey Crisp)
4. 3 Small Zucchinis
5. 4-5 fresh baby carrots
6. 1 TBSP Tarragon
7. 1 TSP Chili Pepper Flake
8. 1/2p1 TSP Turmeric
9. 1 TSP Sea Salt
10. 2 TSP Paprika
    
    
11. 1 LB Green Lentils
12. 2 OZ of any seaweed, tougher heartier seaweeds are better
13. 1/2 TSP Sea Salt
14. 1 TSP Tarragon

Stew:

Cut the Rutabagas and Turnips into 1/2 inch by 1 inch slices. Add to 3 quarts of water with 1TSP of salt and rise to a boil. Boil for 1/2 an hour with the top off. Dice apples and add with Tarragon. Boil for another 1 hour. Add a cup of water every 30 minutes. Add Chili Flake Turmeric and Paprika. Let simmer for30 minutes. With a potato masher, lightly start to separate the root vegetables and create a thickness to the broth. Cover and let simmer for another hour.

Lentils:

Soak Lentils for 1 hours. Rinse and add to 3 quarts of water. Add Seaweed, Salt, and Tarragon and raise to a boil. Let simmer for 90 minutes or until tender and smooth to the bite. Drain water.

Serve in a bowl. Scoop in two large spoonfuls of lentils and 3-4 hearty ladles full of stew.

Wine: Served with a Malbec and I would say that with the heartiness and the strong creamy bitterness of the stew, this is the way to go every time!

ENJOY!

A madman on the loose!

I have taken the plunge! For 30 of my 35 years I have been in the kitchen. An untrained mad scientist experimenting with the palate. From my first runny batch of french toast through the pork tenderloin wellington I made last night, I have built a maddening repertoire of non traditional methods for preparing food. I am a true improv chef, rarely knowing exactly what I am going to make until I have hit the cutting board with a knife.

Over the years I have perused the essentials: La Gastronomique, Gourmet Cooking, Moosewood, Food and Wine, but unless I am preparing baked goods or remembering how to make specific sauces, I THROW THE RULES OUT THE WINDOW! The rules are local, seasonal, sustainable, and balanced to help promote good health.

Now, this might seem like a ho hum except for two things:

1. People say I should open a restaurant. I have no interest in being a Chef, the ego, long hours, hot kitchens, and difficult employee issues do not interest me. One day, the whatever willing, I could be a restaurateur, but first things first.

2. I NEVER WRITE ANY OF MY RECIPES DOWN. Until now: This blog will be a storyline and repository for all of my adventures in the second best room in the house (what my wife and I do in the bedroom, now that is REAL COOKING!).

I look forward to recipe contributions, suggestions on how I could have done something better, or variations from your own applied improv.

Any ways, lets have some good clean fun and Bon Appétit.