Roasted parsley root salad with rucola

My oven is hard at work this Winter...and not exactly just baking cookies.

Recipe adapted from Gray Apron
time: 55 min roasting parsley roots + 10 min preparation

 ingredients 

2 lbs (1 kg) or less parsley roots (or parsnips) peeled and cut in little-finger size sticks 
1/4 cup (60 ml) balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon (15 ml) liquid honey
1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 lb (125 g) rucola
1 medium size apple, rather sweet, sliced thinly and sprayed with lemon juice
1 - 2 slices prosciutto crudo, chopped
hand full of dried cranberries or cherries
hand full of Parmesan

 instructions 
Preheat oven to 220C/430F. Line a baking sheet with one piece of aluminum foil. 

In a medium bowl, mix vinegar with honey. Whisk in oil. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
Dip parsley pieces in the dressing and then transfer them onto the baking sheet. You'll need the unused dressing later. Place another piece of aluminum foil on top of roots and carefully seal the edges of both foils to close the roots in. Place the sheet in the hot oven for 30 minutes till vegetables are tender to the fork.

Remove top foil and bake for another 25 minutes, stirring them once half way through baking.

Remove caramelized roots from the oven and let them cool a bit. Place them on a platter. Arrange rucola, apples slices, cranberries and drizzle with the dressing. Top it with Parmesan and prosciutto pieces.

NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES NOTES 

• that's a lot of parsley root...but I used what I had and made a big salad;
• so... it wasn't a exactly a side dish; my salads usually aren't;
• the root from the oven comes out fantastic; the sharp flavor is baked away;
• balsamic vinegar adds to the richness of the taste;
• the root is delicate and mushy in the middle (core) and a little tough and chewy on the outside;
• apple brings out the sweetness in the dish and gives a fresh bite;
• a very pleasant, well balanced salad.