Getting to the Root of Things

As you may have noticed, we ordered a number of root vegetables this month. They're in season, they're healthy, and they're cheap, so we decided we'd better try them out. Turnips, in particular, were new to us, and we were on the lookout for a way to give them a try. I decided on Root Vegetable Stew with Herbed Dumplings, because I've found that soups and stews are a good format for vegetables I might not otherwise like.

We thought it was really good! Two notes I would make about the recipe are that I think you could easily make only 1/2 or 1/3 the amount of dumplings called for (they really sucked up the broth, and somewhat outnumbered the vegetables), and also we added an extra two cups of broth. It depends on how soup/stew-like you want it. We also used both rosemary and sage (the recipe calls for either/or) in the stew and in the dumplings, and thought that turned out well. We were also going to add spinach for our leafy green, but forgot to; the stew turned out well anyway. It was earthy, warm, and flavorful, without any one ingredient being overpowering, and I think we'd make it again. We also g

Root Vegetable Stew with Herbed Dumplings

Stew

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
8 ounces Italian sausage links, hot or sweet (we removed ours from the casings; we felt like it distributed the meat and the flavor better that way)
2 pounds assorted root vegetables, peeled (see Tip) and diced (we used a pound of turnips, just under a pound of sweet potatoes, and a potato)
1 large onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or rosemary
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3 cups chopped dark, leafy greens, such as beet, turnip or kale

Dumplings
1 1/4 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup cake flour
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage or rosemary
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup low-fat milk

1. To prepare stew: Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add sausages and cook until browned on all sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer to a clean cutting board. Let cool slightly and cut into 1-inch pieces.
2. If using parsnips, quarter lengthwise and remove the woody core before dicing. Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until barely tender, about 4 minutes. Add root vegetables and cook for 5 minutes. Add garlic and sage (or rosemary) and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth and bring to a simmer, stirring often.
3. To prepare dumplings: Meanwhile, whisk whole-wheat flour, cake flour, sage (or rosemary), baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Add egg and milk and stir until a stiff batter forms.
4. When the stew reaches a simmer, stir in greens and the sausage and return to a simmer. Drop the dough, about 1 tablespoon at a time, over the stew, making about 18 dumplings. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, cover and cook undisturbed until the dumplings are puffed, the vegetables are tender and the sausage is cooked through, about 10 minutes.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 403 calories; 17 g fat (5 g sat, 8 g mono); 69 mg cholesterol; 45 g carbohydrate; 16 g protein; 7 g fiber; 815 mg sodium; 744 mg potassium.
Nutrition bonus: Vitamin A (150% daily value), Vitamin C (45% dv), Folate (27% dv).