Root Cellar Gratin with Whipped Goat Cheese & Blistered Pepper Vinaigrette

Ingredients

For Gratin

• 4 lb (1.8 kg) mixed root vegetables — sweet potato, parsnip, rutabaga, carrot, beet, and turnip — thinly sliced
• 2 qt (1.9 L) heavy cream
• 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
• 8 cloves garlic, smashed
• 6 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Kosher salt and white pepper, to taste
• 2 cups (200 g) grated asiago, divided
• Spray or oil, for greasing

For Whipped Goat Cheese

• 1 lb (450 g) fresh chèvre
• ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
• Kosher salt and cracked black pepper, to taste

For Blistered Pepper Vinaigrette

• 1 lb (450 g) mixed peppers (shishito, fresno, or bell), blistered
• ½ cup (120 ml) olive oil
• ¼ cup (60 ml) sherry or red wine vinegar
• 1 Tbsp honey (or agave)
• 1 clove roasted garlic (see step 6)
• Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

For Garnish

• ~ 4 oz tender winter greens (such as mizuna, arugula, frilly mustard greens or baby kale)

Instructions

1. Prep vegetables (20 min)
1. Scrub or peel the root vegetables as needed.

b. Using a mandoline or the slicing blade of a food processor, slice each vegetable into thin rounds (about 1⁄8 inch thick).

2. Infuse cream (15 min)
1. In a saucepan, combine the cream, milk, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves.
2. Bring just to a simmer, then remove from heat.
3. Let steep for 15 minutes to pull out all that garlicky-herbal goodness. Strain and discard solids.
3. Whip goat cheese (5 min)
1. In a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine chèvre, cream, and olive oil.
2. Whip until fluffy and smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Chill until ready to serve.
4. Assemble gratins (15 min)
1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly oil twelve 6–8 oz mini cast iron pans (or a large casserole if you prefer one big gratin).
3. Shingle the thinly sliced root vegetables into each pan, seasoning lightly with salt and white pepper between layers.
4. Ladle the warm cream mixture over each until just covered.
5. Sprinkle with half the grated asiago.
5. Bake gratins (55 min)
1. Cover the pans with foil, set them on a sheet tray, and bake until a knife slips easily through the vegetables, about 40 minutes.
2. Uncover, top each pan with dollops of whipped goat cheese.
3. Return to the oven for 10–15 minutes until bubbling and beautifully golden.
6. Roast garlic (while the gratins bake)
1. Slice off the top of a small head to expose the cloves, drizzle with oil, wrap in foil, and roast at 350°F for about 40 minutes until soft and golden.
2. Squeeze out one clove for the vinaigrette and save the rest for other uses.

Chef Tip: Don’t skip this step — roasted garlic is one of those quiet chef secrets that makes everything taste better. Once you’ve made it, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without a jar of it in your fridge. The cloves turn sweet, silky, and spreadable — perfect for impromptu flavor boosts all week long.

7. Make the vinaigrette (10 min)
1. Char peppers in a cast iron pan or over an open flame until blistered all over.
2. Peel if skins are tough.
3. Blend with vinegar, honey, roasted garlic, and olive oil until smooth but still a little textured.
4. Season to taste.
8. Plate and Serve
1. Present each gratin piping hot in its cast iron pan.
2. Toss winter greens with the blistered pepper vinaigrette and serve on the side — or artfully atop each gratin.
3. Finish with a final snowfall of shaved asiago.