Root Vegetable Gratin – Notes from the Underground

[I hope you enjoyed our first and last Dostoevsky reference] Whenever I see those big piles of rutabagas at the market, I always think to myself, "who the heck is eating all these root vegetables?"

I understand that there've been times when we literally had no choice – it was either gnaw on a parsnip or perish, but nowadays with so many other delicious choices, why would anyone eat root vegetables on purpose? Has anyone ever stumbled out of a smoky dorm room late at night, in search of a big plate of steamed turnips? Probably not.

So, while you'll never catch me boiling up a batch of these fugly roots to enjoy their intoxicating sulphurous savoriness, I have been known to tolerate them in the occasional gratin.

Of course, I cheated and added some potatoes to mellow things out, but still, all kidding aside, this is a very delicious and enjoyable way to eat them, and would make a fantastic side dish for the holidays. And yes, I do know that potatoes are tubers and not roots, so save your emails. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 1 turnip 1 rutabaga 1 small celery root 2 yukon gold potatotes 1 parsnip * root vegetable sizes and shapes vary, but bottom line, you'll need enough to fill a 9 x 13-inch casserole dish up 3/4 of the way salt to taste (be sure to generously salt the boiling water!) 2 tsp olive oil 2 tbsp butter 3 cloves minced garlic 1 cup cream pinch of nutmeg pinch of cayenne 1 tbsp fresh picked thyme leaves 1 1/4 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, divided

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