A Tale of Two Sides

The other night we made a Pot Roast in our crock pot which was very nice but to me it was the Fall sides that really stood out in this meal.

Brussel Sprouts often get a bad wrap & I'll admit I was never a fan of them myself. Then one year I went to the Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival & tried these amazing sprouts cooked until brown & tender with bacon & garlic & I was sold. Cooked right, brussel sprouts might just be one of my favorite vegetables now. Even Matt who told me he was not a fan of them ate these happily.

Brussel Sprouts with Bacon & Garlic

1 slice bacon, chopped
1 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 c brussel sprouts, halved or quartered depending on their size.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon & cook until begins to render some of its fat. Add the olive oil, garlic & brussel sprouts. Cook for a minute or two. Cover & turn heat down to low. Let cook for 15 - 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the brussel sprouts are tender & browning.

Serves 2

Celeriac or celery root will never win any vegetable beauty contests but flavor-wise it's certainly a winner. Its wonderful in soups & I hear makes a great fritter but I decided to try this gratin I found in Jamie at Home.

I do have to say this recipe was not edited very well in the cookbook, with ingredients that never get used & some ingredients added twice in the recipe. I was able to figure it out because I've made gratins before but for a newer cook it would be pretty frustrating. Luckily, the finished result was very tasty & a great pairing with beef. I used buttermilk instead of the typical cream to add a little extra tang. I also used thyme instead of the called for sage because I was using thyme in my beef as well.

Potato & Celeriac Buttermilk Gratin
(adapted from Jamie at Home)

1 lb potatoes, peeled & cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/2 lb celeriac, peeled & cut into 1/4-inch slices
1/4 c buttermilk
2 T fresh thyme, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 oz Parmesan, grated
salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Put the potatoes & celeriac into a pot of cold water. Salt & bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. Drain & let sit a minute or two. Return to the pot & mix with the buttermilk, thyme, garlic & half of the cheese. Season with salt & pepper.

Layer into a butter baking dish (I used a 6 x 8 glass baking dish). Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top.

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes until brown & bubbly.

Serves 3 - 4

You can make this earlier in the day & refrigerate it until ready to bake.

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