Ingredients:
1 small rutabaga, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch slices
2 medium turnips, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch slices
3 medium parsnips, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch slices
1-1/2 Tbs. flour
1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated
1-1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
salt and pepper
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In salted water, boil rutabaga for six to eight minutes and turnips and parsnips for three to four minutes or until tender. Dry well.
Toss vegetable slices together in a large bowl. Arrange a layer of vegetables on the bottom of a buttered 6 x 9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle some flour, cheese, salt and pepper over vegetables. Repeat to make a second layer.
Top off with a final layer of vegetables, then add the cream and sprinkle with nutmeg and a bit more cheese.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 40 minutes more or until golden and bubbly. Let stand for five to 10 minutes before serving.
Yield: 4 servings
Note: The root vegetables for this dish may be cooked a day ahead of time and kept covered in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Root Vegetables: What's the Difference?
Parsnips: In America, they are eaten as a winter vegetable.
Rutabagas: This cabbage family vegetable can be used interchangeably with the turnip, although the rutabaga's flesh is pale orange as compared to the creamy white flesh of the turnip. It can be peeled and roasted with meat, cooked with soups, added to casseroles or mashed.
Turnips: Sweet when young, turnips take on a coarser texture and taste as they age. Peel the large ones before cooking.
