Homemade Root Vegetable Potato Chips

I recently wrote about root vegetables being the “bad boys of winter.” So misunderstood — so mysterious to many. Read on, as this motley crew makes its appearance again as the ultimate temptation — chips.

My father is the pickiest eater in the world. Just the thought of rosemary in something makes him crinkle his nose and snarl his upper lip in disgust. However, I cook with herbs and interesting ingredients, so it causes complications when entertaining him. He squished his face up when I told him we were having vegetable chips. (He is very dramatic when it comes to food.) He pleaded, “Can’t you make anything normal?” Under duress, he tasted one. Then another. And then another. He loved them, and so did the everyone else, including the kids. I stood there at my sizzling pot, dishing out one crispy, salty batch after another. Ha. I felt victorious that these underexplored vegetables proved they are good enough, and then kept them coming back for more.

Not only are these root vegetable chips tempting to over-indulge on, but they are almost too pretty to eat, although they will darken significantly after being fried. Technique-wise, something that I’ve learned with frying is the first batch always cooks really fast and tends to burn things, so  just add a few chips at first. Between batches you need to make sure the cooking temp stays up, or you will boil the vegetables instead of frying. I know frying can be a little hot and dangerous, but that’s what bad boys are all about, right?

Root Vegetable Chips
Martha Stewart

• 4 medium parsnips, peeled
• 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold or purple potatoes, peeled
• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
• 4 medium beets,
• vegetable or peanut oil, for frying
• coarse salt
• 1/3 cup Wondra flour (you know, I’ve never done this but if you try it, let me know how it turns out)

Using a vegetable peeler, peel parsnips into long, thin strips, turning often, and stopping when you get to the tough core. With a mandoline or a hand slicer, slice potatoes, sweet potatoes, and beets into very thin rounds (less than 1/8 inch thick). Transfer vegetables to separate bowls, and separate slices with your fingers.

Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep, heavy pot until it reaches 360 degrees. Working in small batches, fry parsnips, stirring to separate, until light gold and crisp, 30 to 45 seconds. With a wire-mesh skimmer, transfer to a baking sheet lined with a double layer of paper towels. Spread parsnips into a single layer, and sprinkle with salt. Repeat with potatoes and then sweet potatoes, cooking each batch about 1 minute. Replace paper towels between batches. (Adjust heat between batches as needed to maintain oil temperature.)

Toss beet slices with Wondra flour, and shake off excess. Fry beets until crisp and golden, stirring to separate slices, about 1 minute. With a wire-mesh skimmer, transfer to a baking sheet lined with a double layer of paper towels. Spread beets in a single layer, and sprinkle with salt. Let chips dry and cool completely before serving or storing. Wrap chips in paper towels, then plastic wrap, and store in a resealable plastic bag for up to 1 day.

Finding a home for your orphaned ingredients

Open your refrigerator, and I’m sure you will find them – - a lonely carrot here, a couple of red potatoes there, a baggie of spinach or broccoli. Alone, not enough to create a side dish. They are orphans looking for a place to call their own, waiting for a chance to shine after being left behind.

The nights I make meals from “nothing” my husband asks if it is “garbage can dinner.” Not appetizing, I know. But had I not come up with a tasty solution for these bits and pieces, they would have ended up in the trash. The Italians are really good at inventing great meals from what would be discarded. Look at panzanella, which is a fantastic salad made from stale bread, dressing, tomatoes, etc . . ..  How about minestrone soup? From cooking Italian food I even learned about saving the rind of the parmesan cheese block and throw it in soups. Waste nothing. Heck, I even make bread crumbs from leftover hot dog and hamburger buns that I know will never be used. Just dry them out and pulse them in your processor. You might think that sounds cheap, but I think it is resourceful. Here are some ideas to help you make more of what you have on hand.

* Soup is the first obvious choice for fresh items laying around. Carrots, celery, potatoes and the like. Keep canned tomatoes and stock on hand which will help you be more resourceful in making creations from miscellaneous items.

* A crustless quiche (pictured) is a quick to make and perfect for leftover ingredients. Yesterday I had leftover roasted asparagus and roasted bell pepper, so I threw them in the quiche. In making the quiche I used what ever cheese I had on hand as well.

* Make a roasted vegetable medley. A couple of weeks ago I had a wide variety of bits and pieces, so I cut them all up in uniform sizes and threw them on a baking sheet with a little olive oil. Of course, some vegetables like squash will cook faster than carrots, so I made two full trays.

* If you have leftover cooked vegetables that will freeze well, start a running freezer bag that will eventually be enough for soup, a  potpie – - you get it.

Here are a couple of recipes I’ve been using for years, and they are very flexible with the ingredients – - a perfect home for your little bits and pieces.

Crustless Quiche Adapted from Allrecipes.com 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained, or any vegetable you need to get rid of 5 eggs, beaten 2 cups shredded Muenster cheese, or any other cheese you have on hand 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Crustless Quiche

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9 inch pie pan.
2.	Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft. Stir in spinach and continue cooking until excess moisture has evaporated.
3.	In a large bowl, combine eggs, cheese, salt and pepper. Add spinach mixture and stir to blend. Scoop into prepared pie pan.
4.	Bake in preheated oven until eggs have set, about 30 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. 4 tablespoons margarine 3/4 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup chopped carrots 1 (19 ounce) can cannellini beans 1/2 cup shredded cabbage 1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes 1 tablespoon tomato paste 1 1/2 cups cubed potatoes 1 quart chicken broth 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons dried parsley 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup elbow macaroni 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese Minestrone Soup Allrecipes.com (Note: I have made this in the slow cooker too. I am making this in a couple days to help get rid of some orphan green beans, celery and parm rind.) Directions: 1. Melt butter or margarine in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and carrots; saute for a few minutes. 2. Add beans, cabbage, tomatoes, tomato paste, potato, stock, garlic, parsley, and salt to the pot. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat. Simmer for approximately 1 hour until vegetables are barely tender. 3. Add pasta, and simmer for 30 minutes more. Correct seasoning, and serve hot with grated cheese.