Root Vegetable Cakes Food

ROOT VEGETABLE PATTIES

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except oil in a bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a large nonstick skillet then drop 4 mounds of vegetables using about 1/2 of the veggie mix into the pan and flatten each mound a bit. Cook patties 3 to 4 minutes on each side, drain on paper towels and repeat with remaining oil and vegetables to make 8 patties, total. Serve at room temperature.

ROOT CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease (with some vegetable oil) and flour a 9-by-13-inch cake pan.
• In a medium saucepan, bring the parsnips and milk to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover the pan and let stand until cool.
• Drain the cooled parsnips, discard the milk and transfer them to a blender. Add 2 of the eggs and blend until very smooth. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the carrots, granulated sugar, salt, star anise, ginger, almond extract, white pepper, 3/4 cup vegetable oil and the remaining 2 eggs to the blender and blend on high speed until very smooth. Pour the carrot mixture into the pureed parsnips and stir well until combined.
• Sift together the 2 cups flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and, using a large rubber spatula, fold together until well incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool completely on a cooling rack before removing the cake from the pan.
• For the icing: Cream the cream cheese and butter together well. Add the confectioners' sugar and salt and mix well, making sure there are very few lumps. Combine the carrot juice with the vanilla, bitter almond and anise extracts and mix in a little at a time. Stir in the grated carrot last. Put back in the fridge to firm up. Frost the cake with the icing.

LAURA SIMON'S ROOT-VEGETABLE LATKES

Steps:

• Place a large fine-meshed sieve over a large bowl. Grate the potatoes and place in the sieve. Grate the parships and carrots and place in another large bowl. Add the onion, dill, matzo meal, salt, and pepper to the parsnip mixture.
• Using your hands, squeeze the potatoes a palmful at a time over the sieve to remove as much moisture as possible. Add the squeezed potatoes to the parship mixture. When all the potatoes have been squeezed, remove the sieve and carefully pour off the potato liquid while leaving the white potato starch in the bottom. Add the starch to the vegetable mixture. Add 2 eggs and thoroughly combine. Put a scant 1/4 cup of the mixture into the palm of your hand and flatten with your other hand. If the mixture sticks together, you can form the remaining mixture into cakes. If not, add another egg and then form the cakes.
• In a medium, heavy-bottomed skilled over medium heat, heat 1/2 inch vegetable oil. Place a few of the cakes in the hot oil and fry until dark gold on one side. Flip with a spatula and cook the second side until golden. Place on a baking sheet and keep warm in a 200 degree F oven while frying the remaining cakes. Serve hot.