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Susan S. Yeske: Recipe of the Week -- Reach for the vegetables that sustained our ancestors

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With Thanksgiving behind us and the winter holidays ahead, it’s time to think about hearty dishes that will take us through the cold months of winter.

An easy choice is to reach for the vegetables that sustained our ancestors during winter months. Long before we had the option to buy warm-weather vegetables year round, our ancestors figured out which vegetables had hardy skins that stored well in cool, dark places.

Along with long storage times, root and hardy vegetables are filled with nutrients they needed to get through until spring brought warmth and a new growing season.

The local farmers market harvest season has ended, although some local farm stands and the Stockton Farmers Market are open and the Wrightstown Winter Farmers Market will reopen Dec. 12 at Old Anchor Church in Wrightstown. This year’s winter market will reopen outdoors to reduce any chance of spreading the Covid-19 virus. It will be held the second and fourth Saturdays of the month from 10 a.m. to noon through April.

Winter markets will offer root and cold-weather vegetables including beets, parsnips, rutabagas, sweet and white potatoes, onions, leeks, carrots and hardy squashes such as butternut and acorn. You might even find some cabbages, which some farmers leave in the fields and harvest long after the first hard frost.

All of these vegetables also are great in soups, stews and risottos.

This recipe from myfoodandfamily.com would be satisfying on any chilly night, but also is an attractive dish to serve during the holidays. If you don’t like some of the vegetables, simply substitute it for more of another vegetable you like.

Root Vegetable Gratin

1½ pounds red onions
2 golden beets (about 10 ounces)
2 turnips (about 10 ounces)
½ pound baking potatoes (about 2)
1 sweet potato (½ pound)
8 ounces grated cheddar and gouda cheeses, divided
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/3 cup milk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder

1. Heat oven to 350°F.
2. Peel, then cut all vegetables into thin slices. Set aside half the vegetables. Arrange remaining vegetables, with slices slightly overlapping and in alternating groups of 3 vegetable slices each, in concentric rows in 12-inch cast-iron skillet, starting at edge of skillet and covering bottom of half the skillet. Sprinkle half of each of the cheeses evenly over vegetables in skillet.
3. Repeat with rows of reserved vegetables to evenly cover bottom of skillet.
4. Mix milk, parsley, dry seasonings and remaining Parmesan until blended; drizzle over ingredients in skillet. Top with remaining shredded cheese; cover.
5. Bake 1 hour or until vegetables are tender, uncovering after 30 minutes.

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