It looks like winter has finally released it’s frigid grip on the city. Pigeons are out in flocks, puppies are sniffing fire hydrants with abandon, sidewalks (and small mountains of trash) are visible again and the dreaded “cold weather” MTA plan has subsided. But I digress — this isn’t about harping on the pitfalls of the last few months, but celebrating what’s to come!
Before we can happily dive into blueberry bushes, the necessary evil of spring-cleaning lurks over our shoulders. I don’t know about everyone else, but I have this habit of stockpiling vegetables in my freezer, all cut up and ready for use (I’d show a photo, but it’s pretty embarrassing how messy and full my freezer is). Let’s just say I could be ready for an apocalypse, or at least another freak snowstorm or two.
With a little duck fat from Hudson Valley Duck Farm (because duck fat makes everything better), I’m using up my veggies this last week of the dwindling winter season. Next weekend, I’ll be hitting up the Grand Army Plaza so hard it won’t know what hit it — that’s a promise.
Since everything I had was already cubed, I found my best option was a hash. Coupled with some potatoes and maple-syrup fried eggs (yup, it’s a thing), this dish makes for a nice heavy-winter-eating detox (well, except for the duck fat and pancetta), not to mention an Instagram brag-worthy brunch dish.
End-of-Winter Hash
3 ounces pancetta
½ onion, diced
8 Brussels sprouts, halved
½ butternut squash
3 beets
2 parsnips
10 small heirloom potatoes, halved
10 stalks of asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces
5 Swiss chard leaves, ribboned
2 eggs
3 tablespoons maple syrup
3 tablespoons canola oil
Duck fat, to taste
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Dice all vegetables into large pieces. Starting with a hot cast-iron pan, add pancetta, onion and Brussels sprouts.
When the onion starts to sweat and the sprouts soften, add butternut squash, parsnip and asparagus to the pan. Cover with a bowl or lid and let cook down on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes. When everything is tender, remove the pan from the heat and dot generously with duck fat.
In a separate pan, heat the maple syrup with oil. When hot, crack the two eggs into the pan, cover and fry until the yolk is slightly runny, but the whites are set.
Top the hash with eggs, break the yolk and enjoy!
