Roots Rock

The other day I was clicking around, procrastinating, when I found this post about root vegetable latkes. Being as I was in possession of same, I rushed downstairs and got to work. A big beet, a turnip, and 3 carrots (I think) all went quickly through the grating wheel of the food processor, and got tossed around with an egg, a little flour, curry powder, salt, and parsley. There was a lot of the shredded veggie mixture, so I put half of of it aside before adding the egg and flavors, seasoning that half with lots of vinegar, oil, and kimchi juice and putting it in the fridge.

While the pancakes cooked- in just a little olive oil- I rinsed out the processor and spun Greek yogurt, anchovies, and parmigiano together to make a creamy sort of sauce thing. And I opened a quart of our applesauce. And that was dinner, along with a 1999 François Parent Chambolle-Musigny. It has a beautiful nose, the "nez de truffe" (they go so far as to put a truffle on the label) but it's a little disjointed in the mouth. The color suggests that age is not going to help any. There was a little of the yogurt sauce left over, so I tossed that into the beet slaw mixture that was in the fridge.




















The next day, the slaw had achieved a good, rich tang to balance the earthy sweetness of the beets and carrots (the turnip added a nice bright radishy sharpness.) I had an idea to revisit something invented a long time ago- a squash waffle. I mixed half a baked kabocha with flour, eggs, soymilk, yogurt, grated ginger and turmeric, baking powder, salt, 5-spice, and a little sugar to make the batter. As I worked my way through the batter, I dredged chicken thighs in cornmeal seasoned with 5-spice, pepper, salt, and chili powder and set them in the iron pan with a little canola oil. And I made a reduction with pure cranberry juice and maple syrup.

For this one, still as ever feeling the Burgundy urge, I popped a 2001 Drouhin Gevrey-Chambertin. It's funny thing; less exciting aromatically than the Parent, but a bit more elegant to drink. The $20-$30 Burgundy neighborhood can be a frustrating place to hang out.