Roasted Rutabaga & Pears with Browned Butter, Honey & Rosemary

I considered making this side dish as part of our Thanksgiving feast but was unsure if the bag of root vegetables I received in my CSA share contained rutabagas or turnips! I didn’t want to take the risk. 😉

The interior of a rutabaga is a creamy yellowish-orange versus a turnip which is very white inside. Rutabagas are also much more mild and sweet in flavor compared to a turnip which can be spicy like a radish.

This recipe was adapted from 177MilkStreet.com, contributed by Rose Hattabaugh. I modified the method and proportions. I loved the combination of the starchy caramelized roasted rutabagas with the sweet pears and browned butter. Very nice.

Yield: Serves 8

• 6 T salted butter, divided
• 1 1/2 T minced fresh rosemary, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 1/4 pounds rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 ripe but firm Bosc pears (about 1 pound), unpeeled, quartered, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 T honey
• 2 tsp sherry vinegar OR cider vinegar OR white wine vinegar

1. Heat the oven to 450°F with a rack in the middle position. (I set my oven to convection roast.) Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a small saucepan over medium, melt the butter; remove from the heat and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, stir together 1 tablespoon of rosemary, 3/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper and 3 tablespoons of melted butter.
4. Add the rutabaga and toss to coat, then distribute in an even layer on the prepared baking sheet; reserve the bowl.
5. Roast the rutabaga for 15 minutes on convection or up to 20 minutes in a standard oven.
6. Meanwhile, in the same bowl, toss the pears with 1 tablespoon of the remaining melted butter; set aside.
7. Set the pan with the remaining 2 tablespoons melted butter over medium and cook the butter, occasionally swirling the pan, until the milk solids at the bottom are golden brown and the butter has a nutty aroma, about 1 minute.
8. Off heat, whisk in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon chopped rosemary, the honey, vinegar and generous 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper; transfer to a heat proof bowl, cover and set aside.
9. When the rutabaga has roasted for 20 minutes, add the pears to the baking sheet and toss to combine with the rutabaga. Roast until a skewer inserted into the rutabaga and pears meets no resistance and the rutabaga is well browned, 10 to 12 minutes; stir once about halfway through.
10. Remove the baking sheet from the oven, immediately drizzle the rutabaga and pears with the browned butter mixture and toss to coat.
11. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then transfer to a serving dish. (I sprinkled fine sea salt over the top of the dish.)

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Pears and Pistachios

Brussels sprouts on their stalks are completely irresistible to me. My husband isn’t a fan, so when my mom comes to visit I make them for us. This year my mother-in-law was here to gobble them up as well! This roasted version was a wonderful side dish- absolutely fabulous with the sweetness of the pears and the crunchiness of the nuts. This recipe was adapted from Bevi of Food 52, via A Pug in the Kitchen. This is definitely my new go-to brussels sprouts recipe. Delicious.

Yield: Serves 4 to 6 as a side dish

• 2 pounds brussels sprouts (from 1 large stalk), halved lengthwise
• 4 T olive oil
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 to 2 Bosc pears, halved lengthwise and cored
• 1/4 cup shelled pistachios, chopped coarsely (I used salted)
• Juice of 1/2 large lemon

1. Preheat oven to 425° F (convection roast). Place the prepared brussels sprouts on two parchment-lined baking sheets and pour on the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Mix with clean hands. Place the pear halves, cut sides-down, on one of the baking sheets, making sure there is enough oil to coat their cut surfaces.
2. Roast the brussels sprouts and pears for about 15 minutes. Then turn the brussels sprouts with a metal spatula so that both sides will get caramelized. Check the pear — it many not be caramelized at this point. Alternate the position of the pans and continue to roast another 5 to 10 minutes.
3. Reduce the oven heat to 375° F. Add the pistachios and roast an additional 5 minutes to lightly toast them.
4. Remove the baking sheet from the oven. Squeeze lemon juice directly over all the ingredients. Chop the pear halves. Toss everything thoroughly, check the seasoning, and serve on a platter or in a bowl.

One Year Ago:

• Cranberry Margaritas
• Pear of Desire

Vanilla Bean Apple-Pear Pie with Walnut Crust

This recipe requires the filling to be cooked prior to baking the pie- it is well worth the extra work. The pie filling is absolutely loaded with fruit as a result. The combination of pears and vanilla bean with the apples created a very special pie. The toasted walnuts in the crust were another wonderful addition.

This recipe was adapted from Martha Stewart Living.  I modified the method. I may have to include it at part of the Thanksgiving meal next year.

2021 Update: I included this pie in our assortment of Thanksgiving desserts and it was the clear winner. It just may be my new favorite pie!

For the Crust:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more
• 1 1/2 ounces walnuts , toasted and chopped (1/2 cup)
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water (I used about 4 to 5 tablespoons)

For the Filling & To Finish:

 

• 5 to 6 Granny Smith apples (I used 6 medium apples)
• 3 firm-ripe Bosc pears (I used 3 very large pears)
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 whole vanilla bean, split and scraped
• juice of 1/2 lemon (about 5 teaspoons)
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• turbinado sugar or fine sanding sugar, for sprinkling

To Make the Crust:

1. Place walnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant. Set aside to cool.
2. Pulse flour, toasted walnuts, granulated sugar, and salt in a food processor until walnuts are finely chopped.
3. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, 8 to 10 seconds.
4. With the food processor running, drizzle in 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) of ice water 1 tablespoon at a time. Add water until the mixture comes together when pressed in your hand (dough should not be wet or sticky). If dough is too dry, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse.
5. Lay out 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Empty half the dough onto each piece. Bring edges of wrap together to gather dough. Press into disks.
6. Roll out disks, still wrapped in plastic, to 1/2-inch-thick rounds (8 inches in diameter). Refrigerate at least 45 minutes and up to 2 days.
7. Let stand at room temperature 5 to 10 minutes before rolling.
8. Roll out 1 disk of dough into a 12-inch round (a generous 1/8-inch thickness) on a lightly floured surface. Fit into a 9-inch pie plate, and trim edge, leaving a 1-inch overhang. (I used a deep dish ceramic pie plate.)
9. Roll out remaining disk of dough to a generous 1/8-inch thickness. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and refrigerate, along with dough in pie plate, until firm, about 1 hour.

To Make the Filling & To Finish:

1. Peel and core apples, and cut into eighths (you should have about 7 cups).
2. Peel and core pears, and cut into eighths (you should have about 5 cups).
3. In a large bowl, toss apple and pear slices with salt, granulated sugar, vanilla bean seeds and pod, and lemon juice.
4. Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
5. Add fruit mixture, and cook, stirring, 10 minutes.
6. Stir in flour, and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; let filling cool completely. Remove vanilla bean pod.
7. Preheat oven to 425 degrees, preferably on convection, with rack in lower third of oven.
8. Pour filling into dough-lined pie plate, and brush edge of dough with some egg wash.
9. Cut dough on baking sheet into strips. Weave dough strips into a lattice over filling, and press overhang onto edge of crust. Trim edge, fold under, and crimp as desired.
10. Roll any trimmed pieces 1/4-inch thick to make leaf decorations, or others, if desired.
11. Brush top of pie with more egg wash, then sprinkle with turbinado or sanding sugar. Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes. (I brushed the pie with egg wash after freezing.)
12. Place the pie on a parchment paper-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Cover the edge of the pie with a shield and place a foil dome over the top of the entire pie to prevent over-browning.
13. Bake pie 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees, and bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling through lattice, about 1 hour.
14. Remove the dome and shield and continue to bake an additional 15 minutes, until golden brown.
15. Let cool completely on a wire rack before serving or storing.

Note: Pie can be stored at room temperature 1 day.