Root Vegetable Gratin

Four different root vegetables sliced very thin and layered with cream and lots of cheese – the perfect winter side dish! Pretty much any combination of root vegetables will work, although I used turnips, sweet potatoes, rutabaga and parsnips for this recipe. The rich flavor of Gruyère cheese brings out the nutty flavor of the roots and the addition of turmeric not only lends an earthy flavor, it benefits the body both inside and out, because of its high antioxidant content. Turmeric has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 5,000 years.

INGREDIENTS

Coconut oil or butter
Coarse salt
6 shallots, peeled and minced
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 two-inch length of fresh turmeric root, peeled and micro-planed
3 cups grated Gruyère cheese
2 turnips, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
2 rutabagas, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
2 large parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
2 cups heavy cream

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Saute shallots, garlic and turmeric until the onions are translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Grease a shallow 9-by-13-inch baking pan with coconut oil. Set aside 1 cup cheese. Place a layer of turnips, in a slightly overlapping fashion, on bottom of baking dish; sprinkle with some of the remaining 2 cups of cheese. Top with a layer of sweet potatoes, overlapping in the same fashion; sprinkle with more of the remaining cheese. Repeat process making a layer of rutabaga, followed by sweet potatoes, topping each layer with some of the remaining cheese.

Add 2 cups cream to the shallot mixture, stirring to combine. Gently pour cream over vegetables. Cover baking dish with parchment paper-lined aluminum foil. Transfer to oven and bake until a knife is easily inserted into gratin, at least 1 hour. Uncover and sprinkle reserved cheese over top; increase oven temperature to 425 degrees. Return baking dish to oven and continue baking until cheese is browned and bubbly, about 15 minutes more.

Remove baking dish from oven and let gratin sit for 20 minutes before serving.

Note: You can make this dish ahead of time and reheat in a medium oven.

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