May 29
2009

Rainbow Potato Gratin

in Uncategorized

Sigh. First I’m hit with technical difficulties of the computer kind, and now technical difficulties of the cerebral kind. This post was all written and ready to go yesterday, but then someone forgot to hit the post button. Doh! I’m starting to think this post is jinxed because it has taken me so long to get it posted! Anyways, without further adieu, the story of this very yummy potato gratin.

For Easter this year we went to my parents’ house for dinner. Some of my cousins were there also to enjoy the feast. Ms. E, the wife of my cousin Mr. T (and one of his redeeming qualities, hehehe), brought a potato gratin that was to die for. After one bite I knew I had to get the recipe. She later emailed it to me and told me that it was from a cookbook which she really liked called Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson.
I got my hands on a copy of the book and it has since become one of my favorite cookbooks (check out her equally fabulous blog, 101 Cookbooks). The book is based on the process of trading heavily processed ingredients for whole, natural, minimally processed ones in our cooking. The titles of the recipes in this book alone are enough to start me salivating: Quinoa and Corn Flour Crepes with Chile de Arbol Sauce, Spring Minestrone with Brown Rice, Yucatecan Street Corn with Lime, Chile Powder, and Grated Cotija, Baked Purple Hedgehog Potatoes with Yogurt-Mint Dipping Sauce, Gnocchi Alla Romana with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Double-Chocolate Pistachio Biscotti . . . YUM. I’ve already made the Crunchy Slaw Salad,
the Big Curry Noodle Pot,
and, of course, that amazing potato gratin from the book. The gratin is made by browning a variety of root veggies in a skillet,
then stirring in some apple or pear wedges,
sprinkling with bread crumbs and fresh Parmesan cheese,
and baking it uncovered in the oven so that everything gets a beautiful yummy golden caramelized skin.
This gratin is so good that I could eat nothing but a big serving of it for a meal and be completely happy.
Rainbow Potato Gratin
Adapted from Super Natural Cooking, by Heidi Swanson
Serves 4-6

3 Tbsp. olive oil
4 small red potatoes, unpeeled and cut into wedges
1 large onion, sliced
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
4 carrots, cut into 2-inch long pieces (and cut in half lengthwise if thicker than your thumb)
4 green onions, trimmed and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
Fine-grain sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pear, unpeeled, cored, and cut into 6 wedges
1/2 cup panko (or bread crumbs)
2/3 cup fresh Parmesan cheese (grated or shaved)

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and position a rack in the middle of the oven.

2. Heat olive oil in your largest ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. In a single layer, add the potatoes, onions, sweet potato, carrots, and green onions and toss to coat. Try not to overcrowd the pan, or the vegetables will steam and not brown. If you don’t have a big enough pan, split the ingredients between two skillets. Saute over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, shaking the pan a couple of times along the way. The vegetables should start to brown a bit and be tender but not mushy.

3. Remove from heat and sprinkle with a generous dose of salt and pepper. Stir in the pear wedges.

4. If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, transfer the ingredients to an ovenproof baking dish or casserole. Sprinkle with all the panko and half of the Parmesan cheese (don’t stir).

5. Place uncovered in the oven. Bake for about 40 minutes, tossing the vegetables with a metal spatula about halfway through. The potatoes and carrots should be golden, crispy, and caramelized where they touch the pan and soft and tender inside. When everything is caramelized and fragrant, remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Serve.

Coming Sunday: Lemon Anise Cookies

{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }

Jess May 29, 2009 at 12:43 pm

Wow, that’s beautiful! So many colors!

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PineNut May 29, 2009 at 1:37 pm

Ok, this is spooky. I just discovered the 101 Cookbooks website today while searching for cookbooks on Angry Chicken’s blog. Now you mention it, too! This is definitely a sign. The pics are so yummy looking and the fact that all her dishes are vegetarian is so inspiring. (I was feeling kinda blah about planning next week’s menu) I’m gonna make one of her lentil recipes next week…

Reply

Jenn May 29, 2009 at 3:36 pm

I haven’t tried this yet. Looks good. and the name of it fits pretty well, too. Colorful, indeed.

Reply

K and S May 29, 2009 at 5:48 pm

I really should start cooking from this book too :)

Reply

Abigail (aka Mamatouille) May 31, 2009 at 6:07 am

Oh yum yum yum – I’m drooling!

Reply

Melissa Hodgen May 31, 2009 at 6:50 pm

Ok, that's now on the menu for this week, but can we have the crunchy slaw salad recipe too?

Reply

Misha Young May 31, 2009 at 8:59 pm

This looks delicious! I love how it has both regular and sweet potato. And pear? A nice sweet touch!

Reply

John Newman June 2, 2009 at 9:39 pm

Very nice. I'm with Melissa, though. I'd like the crunchy slaw salad recipe.

Reply

kawaii crafter June 4, 2009 at 8:21 am

Any chance you're going to post the curry noodle pot recipe? My husband would love it.

Reply

Fuji Mama June 10, 2009 at 5:53 pm

John, Melissa, and Kawaii Crafter– I'll be posting those other 2 recipes after some tweaking!

Reply

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