Pot Roast Vegetables over Yogurt Cream

My intention with this dish is to answer those questions. To create a dish that allows the vegetables to shine. Not to dice them small to be used as contributing flavors, but to celebrate them for what they are. They are left mostly whole in this dish and not fussed with, and then, with a few umami-packed, flavor- and texture-diverse supporting ingredients, are elevated and enhanced to new levels.

Although the recipe contains a few different components, it is quite simple to throw together, and I guarantee you will be licking the plate clean! Serve it as an appetizer, main course, or even dinner during the week.

Vegetables

• 1 medium-sized beet
• 2–3 carrots (depending on size)
• 1 leek, sliced vertically down the center (remove first layer, then cut into a little over 2-inch/5-cm pieces)
• 6 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt

Nut and Seed Crunch

• 2 tsp white sesame seeds
• scant ½ cup salted roasted pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp black sesame seeds
• zest of 1 lemon

Soy Drizzle

• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp rice vinegar

Assembly

• 1½ cups plain Greek yogurt
• ½ candy-striped radish, thinly sliced (use remaining half to add to a beautiful salad!), or 4–5 finger radishes, sliced in half lengthwise

For the vegetables: Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C). Scrub the outside of the beet and carrots very well with a semi-rough sponge (no need to peel). Do not dry them after washing. Place leek pieces in a bowl of cold water, separating the layers so that each price gets properly cleaned. Agitate water a little. Allow leeks to sit for 5 minutes. Gently remove the leek, being careful not to agitate the water this time (because all the sediment sinks!). Again, no need to dry them.

Place beets and carrots on the bottom of a heavy-bottomed, oven-proof pot with a lid. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt over the vegetables. Place pot, uncovered, on the stove over medium-high heat. The second you start to hear sizzling (this should take about 1½–2 minutes), cover the pot.