Stack fingerling potato, carrot, and parsnip pennies between
pinches of Parmesan cheese, wrap them in bacon, and bake them into bite-sized
vegetable gratins--the result will turn someone into a root vegetable
enthusiast in one mouthful. You'll need to cut rounds of roughly the same
diameter out of the vegetables, so look for specimens similar in shape.
8 parsnips, peeled
3 carrots,
peeled
1/2 pound fingerling
potatoes2 1/4 t flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 cups finely grated Parmesan cheese
24 (3-inch) segments bacon (from twelve 6" slices)
Preheat the oven to
400 degrees. Spray a 24-cup mini muffin tin with vegetable oil and set aside.
Cut 24 pieces each
from the parsnips, carrots, and fingerling potatoes; each piece should be about
1" around and 1/4" thick. Reserve remaining vegetables for another
use.
Arrange 24 parsnip
slices close together on a cutting board. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon flour,
salt, and pepper, then add a pinch of Parmesan cheese (about 2 tablespoons
total) to each piece. Top with carrots, making little towers, and repeat with
another 3/4 teaspoon flour, salt, pepper and cheese. Add potatoes, flour, salt,
and pepper, and end with cheese.
Press each bacon
slice into the bottom of each muffin cup, so the ends hang over the edges
slightly. Add a scant 1/2 teaspoon cheese to the bottom of each cup. Place one
vegetable stack in each cup, and press down slightly.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until bacon is browned and crisp.
As soon as you can handle them, use a knife to loosen the gratins from the pan
and transfer to an ovenproof plate. Repeat with remaining ingredients and serve
immediately, or rewarm for 10 minutes at 350 degrees before serving.
