Roasted Winter Vegetables with Truffle Oil

This one is for Erin! I started this blog to share recipes with friends at work, and this one was in high demand. :)

But first, let's talk about a truffle oil!

It's the main flavor to this dish and pretty much any dish you add it to. It has a reputation for being an expensive ingredient, but you only need a small amount every time you use it, so it lasts forever.

So what is a truffle?! Well, it's a mushroom. It has been prized for centuries in almost any European cuisine. They are most often found by hunters using pigs or dogs to sniff them out. Both white and black truffles are used for culinary excellence. The difference, as far as I understand, is only based on where in Europe the specimen is found. Supposedly, blacks are less pungent than whites. They are all delicious. There is talk that truffle oil is only olive oil artificially flavored with truffle flavoring. Regardless, it's damn good and irreplaceable.

It is worth the trip to Central Market or some specialty grocery store to buy a bottle, but you can also buy it online. It will last you forever and you will never be able to match it to anything else you have ever tasted!

Besides using it in this recipe, you can try it with:

• Mashed potatoes: make your favorite mashed potato recipe and add a few drops of truffle oil at the end. Top with grated Parmesan.
• Steak: marinate a ribeye wtih balsamic vinegar and rosemary. Cook medium rare and top with a few drops of truffle oil.
• Pasta: add a drizzle to a cream-based pasta sauce. Toss pasta with a few sauted mushrooms and the cream sauce. Add a sprinkle of parmesan.

Other things I have added it to are polenta, couscous, and veggies such as turnips and radishes.


This recipe is a basic guideline for using it with roasted veggies and can easily be changed, depending on what you have on hand. Enjoy :)

• 2 quarts of winter veggies, such as Brussels sprouts, turnips, and radishes (the combination of these three veggies are my favorite...use them if you can!)
• 10-ish white mushrooms, though creminis or shiitakes would be even better
• 1/2 red onion
• 1 head of garlic
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tbl salt
• 1 tbl pepper
• 1 tbl rosemary, chopped (can substitute thyme, tarragon, or oregano if you don't have rosemary).
• Truffle oil, to taste

1. Preheat oven to 425.

2. Chop winter veggies, mushrooms, and onion into 1-inch pieces and place into a large bowl. (As you halve the Brussels sprouts, the outer leaves may fall off. Keep 'em! They get crispy and delicious in the oven.)

3. Separate head of garlic into individual cloves. Lightly crush cloves so that they peel easily. Add to bowl with the chopped veggies.

4. Add oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and rosemary. Toss to combine.

5. Using two baking sheets, lay out veggies so that they fill the pan, but are not overcrowded. Definitely no more crowded than this:

6. Bake for 15 minutes, then toss them around to promote even browning. Return to oven and bake another 10 minutes. Drizzle truffle oil, and toss. Serve with freshly grated parmesan cheese, or not.

Variations:
While the Brussels sprout-turnip-radish trio is wonderful, you can easily make this recipe with just one kind of veggie.
Maybe truffle oil isn't a big hit in your family. While it drastically changes the dish, you can omit it and just drizzle the finished product with a little more balsamic vinegar and olive oil to keep it simple.