Celebrate all the lovely root vegetables in your box this week!
Delicious layers of organic root vegetables – mostly Irish vegetables apart from the sweet potato. This is a real celebration of root vegetables and its delicious as each layer adds a different delicious flavour.
If you have a mandoline it is ideal for slicing the root vegetables. We’ve made this with a vegan bechamel but feel free to use a milk one if you wish. Garnish with toasted hazelnuts and a side of wild garlic pesto pasta for extra deliciousness!!
Lou x
Ingredients:
- For the swede puree: serves 6-8
- 400g swede (1 small) – cubed
- 50g butter
- salt and pepper
- For the bechamel sauce:
- 120g cashews
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice or cider vinegar
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup water (200ml)
- Root veg:
- 400g beetroot (6 beets)
- 500g sweet potato (4 small)
- 500g celeriac (1 small)
- 400g potato (4 medium)
- plus:
- 2 tablespoons ground almonds
- olive oil to drizzle
- Crushed hazelnuts to serve
Method:
Step 1: To make the suede puree, steam and boil the cubed swede. Once soft blend with a stick blender or blender with butter, salt and pepper. Set aside.
Step 2: To make the cashew bechamel, pour boiling water over the cashews, leave to soften for 30 minutes. Saute the onion and garlic until translucent and soft. Drain the cashews then blend with the cooked onions and garlic, lemon juice or vinegar, salt and pepper and water.
Step 3: Peel and slice the root veg ideally using a mandoline, the slices should be 1/4 cm thick. Keep each of the vegetable slices separate.
Step 4: Preheat the oven 180ºC. Assemble the gratin add the swede puree to the baking tray first (mine is 13inc x 9inc) , and smooth with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Layer on the beetroot slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Layer on the sweet potato and add a layer of the cashew bechamel. Next add the potato, salt, pepper and a drizzle of oil. Add another layer of cashew bechamel and finish with the sliced celeriac, salt, pepper and oil. Cover with a layer of parchment paper, tin foil and bake in the oven for 1 hour.
Step 5: Check its cooked be piercing with a small sharp knife. Leave to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Ideally cook and put in the fridge overnight to slice, heat through and serve the next day.
