A Variation of Sophie Dahl's Warm Winter Salad

If I had to pick a cookbook to live in, I would pick Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights.  I imagine it would be like living in Anthropologie.  My walls would be lined with Venetian Bouquet wallpaper.  On rainy days, I would stir up vintage cocktails.  It would feel cozy all the time, like being wrapped in a throw that just came out of the dryer.  Suburban sprawl would be replaced with rural, country cottage romance.   Basically, a modern day Downton Abby. 

I like Sophie's style in the kitchen, but I haven't cooked much out of her cookbook, mostly because its pages offer inspiration, rather than exact recipes follow.

This warm, winter salad is a good example.  It doesn't matter much which vegetables you use.  The technique stays the same.  You roast them until they caramelize.  Sophie's recipe calls for carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, celery root, and beets.  I used onions, parsnips, and sweet potato squash. She adds feta.  I skipped the cheese; instead adding raisins.  For the herbs, instead of parsley, I used my favorite winter herb, thyme.  I placed the roasted vegetables on a bed of peppery arugula and then dressed the salad with Sophie's vinaigrette.  It made for yummy lunch and helped some of my CSA bounty disappear.

I've read this book from cover to cover.  One of the topics Sophie, a former plus size model explores, is how she found balance with food.  Her voice is positive and refreshing.  I like her.  She has a newish book out, called Very Fond of Food, which I want to buy RIGHT NOW.  I'm holding off due to my current austerity plan.  Does anyone out there have it?  Do you like it? 

 

Warm Winter Salad
From Miss Dahl's Voluptuous Delights

Ingredients

1 small red onion, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1 small sweet potato (about 8 ounces), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 carrot, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 parsnip, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 small celery root (about 12 ounces), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 small beet, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup walnuts
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 ounce feta, crumbled (1/4 cup)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. In a medium roasting pan, toss the onion, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, celery root and beet with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper and roast for about 45 minutes, stirring once or twice, until tender and lightly browned in spots.
2. Meanwhile, spread the walnuts in a pie plate and toast until golden, about 6 minutes. Transfer the walnuts to a work surface and coarsely chop.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar with the lemon juice, mustard and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and fold in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Add the vegetables and walnuts to the dressing and toss. Top the salad with the feta and serve warm or at room temperature.

Make Ahead The roasted winter vegetables and dressing can be refrigerated separately overnight. Rewarm the roasted vegetables before serving.