As the weather turns balmy and the earth is readied for sowing, yuletide is not on our minds. Philosophers and theologians have suggested that it would be more historically accurate for those of us who celebrate Christmas to do so in late April or early May. I was not thinking of this as I prepared my inaugural meal, but the idea is a happy accident that fits my experimental ambitions. I am used to working with sweet potato-centric seasoning that balances sweet and spicy, and there seemed to be a logical progression from cinnamon to cloves. Add to the equation a few blood oranges and the palate began to emerge. Once I settled on the germ of an idea, it was tricky to avoid going overboard with holiday flavors. The addition of an arugula salad and a little farro on the side freshened and rounded out an ensemble that is, admittedly, a little shy on protein.
Seasonings here are in general measurements. I go heavy on the cumin and cinnamon, simply adjust based on preference. A special addition to this recipe is blood orange infused olive oil. Specialty olive oil shops will usually have one or more citrus infusions, but the ingredient is entirely optional and can be substituted with a little orange juice mixed with regular olive oil. This will give the flavor a fresher, slightly sweeter bite.
This is the first time I have cooked with a Japanese yam - and it is the stuff dreams are made of. The skin is smooth and tasty, but slides off easily after a soak if you do choose to peel it. The flesh of this yam is a beautiful pale gold, a bit stiffer and of subtler flavor than its orange cousin. I know I will be teaming up with this beauty of a root in the future, because it is so receptive to whatever personality you want it to take on.
Unfortunately the blood oranges were a little dry, but they looked glorious on a bed of arugula with some slivered almonds and a drizzle of the same blood orange olive oil. Again, orange juice makes a great substitute here. I played with plating the farro, but it is a grain that does not like to hold a shape. In the end there was so much food that I had to settle for a pretty pedestrian presentation. Aesthetics aside, everything tasted great, so I call this little journey into festive springtime a win.
Ingredients:
1 Japanese yam
3 sweet potatoes
4 shallots
1 cup farro
½ bag or roughly 3 - 4 cups arugula
2 blood oranges
¼ cup slivered almonds
Extra virgin olive oil
Blood orange infused olive oil [optional]
Sweet potato spices:
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. chili power
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
Japanese yam spices:
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 - 2 Tbsp. whole cloves
Salt
Heat oven to 400ºF. Prepare the vegetables. Slice sweet potatoes into thin, french-fry sized pieces. I did not peel them because the skin crisps up nicely. Cut Japanese yam into eighths. Slice shallots into thin rounds. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes with about
¼ cup of olive oil and mix with the blended spices until they are evenly coated. Spread the sweet potatoes evenly on one baking sheet, arrange the Japanese yam pieces and shallots on another. Drizzle blood orange infused olive oil [or olive oil with a little orange juice] over the yam and shallots, and sprinkle them with a the cinnamon, salt and whole cloves.
Roast the vegetables. The sweet potatoes take about 20 minutes at 400ºF, the yam and shallots 27 minutes. Cooking times may vary by oven, and be aware that the shallots may blacken a bit. If you prefer the shallots gold and soft but not as crispy, just pop then in a separate baking dish and reduce their cooking time to about 15 minutes.
Prepare the salad and farro as the vegetables roast. Amounts are very forgiving here, as the salad can be eyeballed and farro is one of the least fussy grains I know. Cook 1 cup of farro for ten minutes over medium-high heat in roughly a quart of water, stirring occasionally to prevent anything boiling over. Drain, rinse and set aside.
Wash the arugula, peel the blood oranges, and separate into segments. Assemble the simple salad and throw a few slivered almonds and a dash of blood orange olive oil on top. I portioned about
⅓ cup of cooked farro per plate and made a little crescent-shaped bed for the potatoes.
When the potatoes and shallots are all finished, give them just a minute to cool before adding them to the plate. I arranged the Japanese yams in a sort of half-hearted geometric mess, though towards the end it did not resemble what I had in mind. Of course, that will not matter to the 3 - 4 sets of tastebuds this recipe will feed. Happy holidays!
Heat oven to 400ºF. Prepare the vegetables. Slice sweet potatoes into thin, french-fry sized pieces. I did not peel them because the skin crisps up nicely. Cut Japanese yam into eighths. Slice shallots into thin rounds. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes with about ¼ cup of olive oil and mix with the blended spices until they are evenly coated. Spread the sweet potatoes evenly on one baking sheet, arrange the Japanese yam pieces and shallots on another. Drizzle blood orange infused olive oil [or olive oil with a little orange juice] over the yam and shallots, and sprinkle them with a the cinnamon, salt and whole cloves.
