choice, such as oregano. Cover tightly and allow the vegetables to part simmer/
part steam over medium heat (300ºF) until just tender; for root vegetables, about
35 minutes. I finish the dish with a very small amount of arrowroot mixed with
cold water to a thin cream, called a slurry; take the hot pan off the heat, drizzle in
the slurry, and stir until it just becomes glossy, reflecting the light. Overdone
thickening is ghastly!Roast
By far my favorite dry-heat method is to oven-roast root vegetables and some
greens like Brussels sprouts, preferably in a convection oven. Clear glass oven
proof baking dishes do really well; cast iron is also good, but the enameled varie
ties can be costly and heavy to work with.
As with the moist-heat methods, root vegetables should be evenly diced to
½ to 1 inch. (Some vegetables, like beets, can be roasted whole, wrapped in alu
minum foil.) I season lightly with sea salt and smoked paprika (for color and
flavor) and often add some powdered rosemary. I then spray the surface with
olive oil and place the dish in a preheated oven, generally at 375ºF. Depending
on your choice of vegetables, you should allow just 40 minutes, with one good
toss and stir after the first 20 minutes.
The dry heat (especially if using convection) will evaporate a good deal of the
water content, causing a concentration of flavors with a slight caramelization of
the plant sugars. There should be no need to add oil or fat to help the vegetables
glisten, but fresh green parsley always enhances the eye appeal.Sauté
Sauté sounds so much nicer than pan-fry, but that’s about what it is—but with
more flourish. With a medium to hot pan surface, food is cooked using a small
amount of oil.54 • GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE