Maple-Roasted Root Veg Mash

Maple-roasted root veg mash
with double-smoked sausage and braised russian kale

This meal was inspired by the lady in front of me in line at the farmer’s market butcher’s stand. She pointed to the double smoked sausage and told me how her husband loves this Dutch dish with mashed potatoes, braised kale, and sausage... and she recommended I make it for my husband. Her dish gets mashed altogether and sort of simmered in a crock pot, but I opted to plate it a little different. Also, I used parsnips and carrots for my mash... just trying to include my anti-tater friends in this post, and also they have more flavour than potatoes. So, here is my version of market-lady’s mash.

peel and chunk up some parsnips & carrots (turnips, beets, or potatoes would also work), toss them in a dutch oven with a few garlic cloves, fresh rosemary, s & p, a couple glugs of maple syrup and olive oil. Pour a 1/4 cup of water over them, cover, and cook in a hot (400) oven for 30 min or so. near the end of the cooking time take the lid off for 5-10 min to get them a little caramelized. They should be very soft, but no water should be in the pan. while those are cooking, soften some diced onion in a pan with olive oil. Add chopped fresh parsley. wash and roughly chop kale. Blanch in boiling water for 30sec to a minute, and then toss in pan with onions and parsley. (note: blanching will eliminate the bitterness of kale) let kale simmer for 5-10 min, adjusting heat so it doesn’t start to stick to the pan. Add more water if you want.

meanwhile, slice your smoked sausage and toss it in a pan in the oven to warm up while the veg is finishing.
mash the root veg with some butter and a little extra maple syrup. plate it up and devour. Hearty fall cooking at its finest.