Maple-Ginger Accomplishment

Follow-through is something that I have a little problem with, in case you can’t tell. I start things that seem like a good idea, and mean to keep doing them, but don’t. So not blogging for weeks after starting a blog is par for the course for me. HOWEVER, I am proud to report that I have broken my own bad habit partially…while I wasn’t blogging about the new recipes, I WAS trying them.  So I’ve followed through on something. Now I just need to get in the habit of sharing the recipes I’ve tried, and everyone will be happy.

This week’s recipe was one I’d clipped from a Taste of Home magazine some time ago, and meant to try. (yeah, I know. This is me learning to follow through.) I’m so glad I finally did.  Maple-Ginger Root Vegetables turned out to be even better than it sounded in writing, so good we had it two nights in a row.

Maple-Ginger Root Vegetables (Taste of Home,  Jun/Jul 2007)

• 5 medium parsnips, peeled and sliced
• 5 small carrots, sliced
• 2 small sweet potatoes, 1 small rutabaga, and 3 medium turnips, all peeled and cubed
• 1 large sweet onion and 1 red onion, cut into wedged
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp minced fresh gingerroot
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 cup maple syrup

“Place the first seven ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag; add the oil, ginger, salt and pepper. Seal bag and shake to coat.  Arrange vegetables in a single layer in two 15 inX10 in baking pans coated with nonstick cooking spray.

Bake, uncovered, at 425F for 25 minutes, stirring once. Drizzle with the syrup. Bake 20-25 minutes longer or until the vegetables are tender, stirring once.

Yield: 24 servings”

This recipe was a little bit of an adventure. First, it’s a LOT of peeling and cutting. a lot.  I almost started to blister by the end. Then again, I’m not the world’s best and definitely not the world’s fastest vegetable chopper and peeler.  I now know never to make this when I’m in a hurry, but the recipe is absolutely worth it if you have time, or prepare ahead.

Once cutting was done, I went to mix everything together, only to realize I only had 1/2 cup of maple syrup on hand. Oops! No problem–I just split the prepared vegetables in half, for a second batch later on.  I refused to use a plastic bag for mixing, and instead put all the vegetables into a large lidded bowl, added the oil, salt, pepper, ginger, and maple syrup.

That’s right; maybe you have better reading comprehension than I did that night, and realized I was supposed to drizzle the syrup on halfway through. oops again! Oh well; I said a little prayer that the maple syrup wouldn’t catch on fire or fill the house with smoke, and threw everything into the sprayed baking pan. I stirred three times through the 50 minutes or so it baked. The smell was absolutely incredible, and I’m happy to say that the maple syrup did not burn or smoke. The juices from the vegetables actually blended quite well with the oil and maple syrup, coating all the vegetables with an amazing taste.

This may have actually been my first time eating turnips, as well as cooking them. I know it was my first time using OR eating a rutabaga or parsnips. I was pleasantly surprised by the turnips and rutabaga, and I’m willing to give parsnips another chance. I thought they tasted a little funny, but they were accidentally partly frozen while in my fridge, and I’m afraid that affected their taste, although I’m not sure.

I prepared the second half of the recipe the next night, and stirred things up a little by adding small beef sausage links. The sausage flavor complimented the vegetables and the sauce, and moved the recipe into a main course/ one dish meal category. I do recommend, though, that if you prepare in advance, that you leave the vegetables out to warm up prior to baking, or that you bake for a bit longer. I forgot these seemingly obvious bit of logic, and the vegetables weren’t quite as well done the second night. Still good, though.

I wish I could have taken a photo to post, but my printer and camera card have lately been like teenage girls fighting over the same boy, and aren’t really speaking. Once I get that figured out, I’ll post photos of my concoctions as well as my stories. I hope you enjoyed. I also hope you try the recipe and enjoy. Let me know what you think if you do try it! And I’ll try to follow through on my posting. Deal? 🙂