Toss the parsnips and apple in a bowl with 1 Tbsp oil, sea salt and black pepper. Spread evenly onto a foil-lined bake sheet and roast until fork tender, about 20- 25 minutes.
To make the Pecan Gremelota, toss the shaved Brussels in a small bowl with the pecans, parsley, pomegranate seeds, lemon juice and zest, plus 1 Tbsp olive oil. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Set aside.
Transfer the parsnips and apples to a blender. Add the stock and puree until smooth. Add the maple, and season with more salt and pepper. Pour soup into a large saucepan and heat over medium heat until warmed through.
To serve, spoon into bowls and season with gremolata.
To make the dressing, whisk together the Dijon, maple and vinegar. Drizzle in the olive oil, whisking to combine. Season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Set aside.
To make the millet, place the millet in a small saucepan on low and allow to dry toast for a few minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cover and allow to cook, simmering for 15 minutes. Take off the burner and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Toss the cooked millet with some of the dressing and set aside. This can be done up to a day in advance. The longer the millet marinates in the dressing, the better. Store in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
Toss the squash, grapes and shallot in a large bowl with olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Spread onto a foil-lined half sheet pan and roast in the oven for 20 minutes until the squash is fork tender.
To assemble, plate some of the squash rings on a platter or plate, layering with the millet, greens and grapes. Drizzle any pan drippings and spoon a little more dressing on top. Garnish with walnuts and sea salt. Serve at room temperature.
Bring a 4-quart pot of water to a boil, add orzo, return to boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 8 minutes until just tender.
Using a sieve, strain orzo reserving ⅛ cup of water in the pot.
Return drained orzo to pot with liquid. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and stir to coat. Set aside.
Layer the Flavor
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Add artichoke quarters and stir to combine, scraping garlic from bottom of pan. Continue cooking 5-7 minutes until everything begins to brown
Remove from heat and immediately pour in vinegar to deglaze the pan. Vigorously scrape the bottom of the pan to release the browned bits.
Add in minced parsley, 1 teaspoon of lemon zest and the roasted nuts. Stir to mix evenly.
Spoon artichoke mixture into orzo and stir to distribute everything evenly.
Serve it Up
Taste the dish and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve on individual plates. Garnish with a sprig of parsley, a pinch of Parmesan cheese and a few sprinkles of lemon zest.
Offer with freshly cracked pepper, accompanied by focaccia bread and a fresh green salad.
Recipe Notes
This recipe can easily be made with fresh artichokes when they are in season and inexpensive.
1. Steam 6-8 fresh artichokes in a large stockpot of boiling water for about 45 minutes until they are tender.
2. Drain the water and let the artichokes cool completely. (Steps 1 & 2 can be done the day before).
3. Remove all the outer leaves and the “choke” itself. Only the hearts are used in this dish, save the leaves to eat as a snack. Discard the fuzzy inner choke.
4. These will be larger than either the frozen or canned options, so cut the hearts into quarters, then cut each quarter into 4 equal pieces and sauté with the garlic as described above.
This recipe is from the award-winning cookbook, Eat it Food Adventures with Marco Polo available at recipe4success.org
