The last few times I was over in New Zealand I spotted these blushing little beauties, wishing I could scoop them up and bring them back to Sydney with me.
Also known as oca, these vibrantly coloured little tubers can be used as you would a potato. They’re slightly sweet and tangy and have a nice creamy texture when cooked.
I’ve noticed that a few farmers’ markets and several providores have started selling them in Sydney; good news to me as I’ve always wanted to cook with them.
Sharing the same growing season as brussels sprouts, I thought combining the two would be a good way to bring some vegetables to the table. A brief steaming session and a little seasoning would have sufficed, but the word “gratin” was already wafting about my head. I mean, cream and cheese make things so much better, right?
Well I think so, anyway.
This isn’t one of those extreme cheese-and-cream-overload kind of recipes; instead it’s quite light on both dairy additions. My use of parmesan seasons it really well, so no need to go mad with salt, plus an aromatic bonus of fresh thyme permeating through the whole thing gets the tastebuds bouncing.
I must be honest, though. My suggestion of using it as a side dish may be valid with the quantities I’ve shown, but I did eat the entire skillet of gratin in one sitting.
Garbage guts, they used to call me.
Nothing wrong with that, right?
Course | Vegetables |
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