http://www.rootrestaurant.com/
SINCE THIS POSTING, ROOT HAS CLOSED
Root is one of the newest Restaurants in Philly to dedicate itself to the art of local, low-processed food. The decor is minimalist in a very good way, the owner-chef-waiter is friendly and the atmosphere is casual yet elegant.
Many of the ingredients were not available, which is unfortunately one of the issues with serving local food. While it was not a big deal in our case and we managed to find an appetizer, two entrees, and two desserts that were delightful, we were a little disappointed that some of the things that interested us were unavailable. My suggestion would be to change the menu daily or weekly and just print menus on plain white paper, no frills, and no disappointments.
The polenta topped with mushrooms and a poached egg was delicious, beautiful presented, and a great start to a meal. We then preceded to try the monk fish and the pan seared black bass. The mole sauce for the fish was unbelievable as was the spaghetti squash, though the fish itself was only so-so. The bass was crisp and delectable, served with perfectly cooked potatoes, roasted artichoke, and cockles.
Portion sizes are realistic: not huge, not too small, but appropriate (which is rare in restaurants these days and one of the complaints about this restaurant).
K was disappointed in the deconstructed cheesecake because it did not taste like cheesecake (it is actually much more like panna cotta, and in that light it was perfect). The creme brulee trio was a surprise - the ibarra chocolate one ended up being the highlight of the evening.
Am looking forward to going back and hoping they have pumpkin ravioli this time!
Note: NOT vegetarian or vegan friendly. Wheelchair accessible.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Vegan Stew
Perfect for a chilly evening and showcases lovely root vegetables.
Local Ingredients
Vegetable Stock made from peelings and greens from carrots, celery, and celeriac, onion and basil.
Dried thyme
Ray's "Wheat Meat" Seitan
Garlic from Fitler Square Farmer's Market
Onions from Almanac
Pepper, Carrots, Potatoes, Celeriac, Sweet Potatoes from Red Earth Farm
Heat a medium saucepan with oil. Lightly coat 2 C seitan with flour and saute until browned (may have to deglaze or scrape the pan to get up crusty bits). Add 2 cloves minced garlic and continue to saute until fragrant. Add 4-6 C stock and 1-2 C red wine and bring to boil. Add 2 T tomato paste and stir well. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Chop up two potatoes, two sweet potatoes, four carrots, one celeriac, two bell peppers (we peeled the sweet potatoes and celeriac, but not the potatoes) and one onion. Heat up a large soup pan with oil - add veggies plus salt, pepper, and thyme.
When potatoes are soft and beginning to brow, add seitan mixture and stir well. Bring to boil and then either simmer for 15-20 minutes or turn off heat until ready to serve and then reheat.
Local Ingredients
Vegetable Stock made from peelings and greens from carrots, celery, and celeriac, onion and basil.
Dried thyme
Ray's "Wheat Meat" Seitan
Garlic from Fitler Square Farmer's Market
Onions from Almanac
Pepper, Carrots, Potatoes, Celeriac, Sweet Potatoes from Red Earth Farm
Heat a medium saucepan with oil. Lightly coat 2 C seitan with flour and saute until browned (may have to deglaze or scrape the pan to get up crusty bits). Add 2 cloves minced garlic and continue to saute until fragrant. Add 4-6 C stock and 1-2 C red wine and bring to boil. Add 2 T tomato paste and stir well. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Chop up two potatoes, two sweet potatoes, four carrots, one celeriac, two bell peppers (we peeled the sweet potatoes and celeriac, but not the potatoes) and one onion. Heat up a large soup pan with oil - add veggies plus salt, pepper, and thyme.
When potatoes are soft and beginning to brow, add seitan mixture and stir well. Bring to boil and then either simmer for 15-20 minutes or turn off heat until ready to serve and then reheat.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Green Salad with Yogurt Dressing
D became obsessed with yogurt dressing after visiting Bavaria. Decided to experiment and found that Pequea Valley holds up very well and does not become watery. A lot of recipes call for lemon juice, but red wine vinegar makes the dressing more savory. The best part is, you can "drown" the salad in dressing for picky eaters.
Local Ingredients
Pequea Valley Farms Whole Plain Yogurt (do not use non-fat or low-fat)
Peppers from Red Earth Farm
Tomato from Fahnestock (last of the season)
Greens from Rineer Family Farm
Per person: mix 2-4 T yogurt with 1/2 T red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Pile greens, tomatoes, and peppers onto a plate and spoon dressing on top. Enjoy!
Of course, you could add cucumbers, corn, onions, cooked potatoes, herbs, green beans, apples, or anything else you like.
Local Ingredients
Pequea Valley Farms Whole Plain Yogurt (do not use non-fat or low-fat)
Peppers from Red Earth Farm
Tomato from Fahnestock (last of the season)
Greens from Rineer Family Farm
Per person: mix 2-4 T yogurt with 1/2 T red wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Pile greens, tomatoes, and peppers onto a plate and spoon dressing on top. Enjoy!
Of course, you could add cucumbers, corn, onions, cooked potatoes, herbs, green beans, apples, or anything else you like.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Apple Spice cake
An easy, fool-proof cake. Goes together in minutes.
Heat oven to 400.
Combine the following dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I use King Arthur, from Vermont, available at Whole Foods)
1/2 cup maple sugar (from Fair Food)
1 tbsp. ground flax seed (from Kauffman's at the Reading Terminal Market)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder (Rumford, from Whole Foods)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
pinch of cloves
Skin, core, and dice an apple.
In a pouring vessel, combine wet ingedients:
1 cup of oatmilk, made by whizzing 1/4 cup rolled oats (Kauffman's) and water to make 1 cup in a blender for a few seconds
1/4 cup canola or your favorite flavorless oil
1 tbsp. cider vinegar or juice of 1/2 a lemon
Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined. Toss in apple. Pour into cake pan or ceramic pie plate (which is what I like to use). If you have some pecans or walnuts lying around, sprinkle a few on top. Bake at 400 for about 35 minutes. Actually, you can leave the oven on for 20 to 25 minutes and then turn it off leaving the oven closed until you want the cake. It will finish baking and you will save energy.
Heat oven to 400.
Combine the following dry ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (I use King Arthur, from Vermont, available at Whole Foods)
1/2 cup maple sugar (from Fair Food)
1 tbsp. ground flax seed (from Kauffman's at the Reading Terminal Market)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder (Rumford, from Whole Foods)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ginger
pinch of cloves
Skin, core, and dice an apple.
In a pouring vessel, combine wet ingedients:
1 cup of oatmilk, made by whizzing 1/4 cup rolled oats (Kauffman's) and water to make 1 cup in a blender for a few seconds
1/4 cup canola or your favorite flavorless oil
1 tbsp. cider vinegar or juice of 1/2 a lemon
Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined. Toss in apple. Pour into cake pan or ceramic pie plate (which is what I like to use). If you have some pecans or walnuts lying around, sprinkle a few on top. Bake at 400 for about 35 minutes. Actually, you can leave the oven on for 20 to 25 minutes and then turn it off leaving the oven closed until you want the cake. It will finish baking and you will save energy.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Blueberry Pie
Local Ingredients
4 C. Blueberries (from assorted farmer's markets and stores)
1/2 recipe pie crust
1 tart apple, grated (unseasonable, but helps it keep it's shape)
3/4 C sugar
2 T flour
1 t lemon or lime juice
lemon zest (optional)
1 T cinnamon (optional)
Roll out pie crust and fit into pie pan. Preheat oven to 400*.
Mix blueberries with grated apple, flour, sugar, lemon juice and optional cinnamon or lemon zest. Pour into prepared pie crust. Top with another pie crust and flute edges. Prick with fork to allow steam out and bake 40 minutes or until lightly browned.
Notes: Do not leave out the apple which helps the pie bind together. Otherwise you will need to add tapioca or corn starch which changes the texture and flavor.
I used half whole wheat and half all purpose for the crust which made for a much denser but flavorful crust. Some people get fancy by brushing egg white or sugar on the crust, some like an intense lemon flavor, some like cinnamon. Great use of our spring bounty of blueberries!
4 C. Blueberries (from assorted farmer's markets and stores)
1/2 recipe pie crust
1 tart apple, grated (unseasonable, but helps it keep it's shape)
3/4 C sugar
2 T flour
1 t lemon or lime juice
lemon zest (optional)
1 T cinnamon (optional)
Roll out pie crust and fit into pie pan. Preheat oven to 400*.
Mix blueberries with grated apple, flour, sugar, lemon juice and optional cinnamon or lemon zest. Pour into prepared pie crust. Top with another pie crust and flute edges. Prick with fork to allow steam out and bake 40 minutes or until lightly browned.
Notes: Do not leave out the apple which helps the pie bind together. Otherwise you will need to add tapioca or corn starch which changes the texture and flavor.
I used half whole wheat and half all purpose for the crust which made for a much denser but flavorful crust. Some people get fancy by brushing egg white or sugar on the crust, some like an intense lemon flavor, some like cinnamon. Great use of our spring bounty of blueberries!
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Corn and Tomato Salad
(Warning: recipe blatantly stolen from a friend and adapted.)
Local Ingredients
Corn on the cob from Rineer Family Farms at Rittenhouse Farmer's Market
Wissahickon Tomatoes from Rineer
Red Onion from Red Earth Farm
Feta from Sue's Produce
optional: cilantro or favorite fresh herb
Remove husks and silk and boil ears of corn in salted boiling water 5-10 minutes until tender. Let cool slightly. Using a good quality chef's knife, turn ear on it's end and remove kernels (or use a special corn huller).
Dice tomato and onion and mix with corn kernels and cilantro. When ready to serve, top with crumbled feta and mix slightly.
Local Ingredients
Corn on the cob from Rineer Family Farms at Rittenhouse Farmer's Market
Wissahickon Tomatoes from Rineer
Red Onion from Red Earth Farm
Feta from Sue's Produce
optional: cilantro or favorite fresh herb
Remove husks and silk and boil ears of corn in salted boiling water 5-10 minutes until tender. Let cool slightly. Using a good quality chef's knife, turn ear on it's end and remove kernels (or use a special corn huller).
Dice tomato and onion and mix with corn kernels and cilantro. When ready to serve, top with crumbled feta and mix slightly.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Zucchini/Potato/Goat Cheese Frittata
Mmmm... this was delicious.
We used some items from our farmshare, delivered weekly by Red Earth Farms.
Red Onions
Red New Potatoes
Zucchini
Other Local Ingredients:
Appletree Farms Goat Cheese from Sue's Produce or any local cheese, crumbled or diced
Eggs from Rineer Family Farms at Rittenhouse Farmer's Market
Mushrooms from the Kennett Square mushroom guy at Rittenhouse Farmer's Market
Heat up a cast iron skillet until hot. Add oil (safflower works well, olive oil is fine) until hot. Add finely sliced onions and let onions cook until caramelized. Add finely sliced potatoes and saute until nice and brown and soft (about 10 min).
Remove onions and potatoes. Add the zucchini and mushrooms, cook until tender. Meanwhile, heat up the broiler of your oven.
Re-combine potatoes with the veggies; season to taste with salt and pepper; a spready into an even layer in the cast iron pan. Drop spoonfuls of goat cheese on top of the veggie mixture. Beat 4-6 eggs together in a separate bowl, season with salt and pepper, and pour onto the veggie mixture. Place the entire pan under the broiler until the eggs are cooked, the top is puffy and browned, and the goat cheese is delicious and melty.
We served with some wonderful fresh salsa made by one of the chefs, a loaf of french bread from metropolitan, and a lovely bottle of Prosecco. Yum yum.
We used some items from our farmshare, delivered weekly by Red Earth Farms.
Red Onions
Red New Potatoes
Zucchini
Other Local Ingredients:
Appletree Farms Goat Cheese from Sue's Produce or any local cheese, crumbled or diced
Eggs from Rineer Family Farms at Rittenhouse Farmer's Market
Mushrooms from the Kennett Square mushroom guy at Rittenhouse Farmer's Market
Heat up a cast iron skillet until hot. Add oil (safflower works well, olive oil is fine) until hot. Add finely sliced onions and let onions cook until caramelized. Add finely sliced potatoes and saute until nice and brown and soft (about 10 min).
Remove onions and potatoes. Add the zucchini and mushrooms, cook until tender. Meanwhile, heat up the broiler of your oven.
Re-combine potatoes with the veggies; season to taste with salt and pepper; a spready into an even layer in the cast iron pan. Drop spoonfuls of goat cheese on top of the veggie mixture. Beat 4-6 eggs together in a separate bowl, season with salt and pepper, and pour onto the veggie mixture. Place the entire pan under the broiler until the eggs are cooked, the top is puffy and browned, and the goat cheese is delicious and melty.
We served with some wonderful fresh salsa made by one of the chefs, a loaf of french bread from metropolitan, and a lovely bottle of Prosecco. Yum yum.
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