If you don’t have a cast iron pan, you can make this recipe in a 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan. A nonstick interior is preferable but not necessary. You may need a little more oil, but the results are still very tasty. Serve the veggies straight out of the pan or turn them into a warm salad with hearty greens, your favorite cheese, and some nuts. Read more about root vegetables here.

Serves 3 as a side dish

  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, more if needed
  • 1/2 pound purple-topped turnips, trimmed but not peeled, cut into half-inch dice
  • 1/2 pound Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled, cut into half-inch dice
  • 1/2 pound sweet potatoes, unpeeled, cut into half-inch dice
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, more if needed
  • 5 to 6 thyme sprigs
  • 1 medium onion (about 5 ounces), cut into medium dice
Susie Middleton

In a 10 or 11-inch cast iron skillet, heat the 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the turnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, salt and herb sprigs and stir and toss well to combine and to coat with the oil. (The pan will look crowded.) Reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring and flipping occasionally with a metal spatula, for about 20 minutes. (Listen to the pan — you should hear a gentle sizzle, not a loud one. If the vegetables are browning too quickly, reduce the heat a bit to maintain that gentle sizzle. If they seem dry, add a bit more olive oil.)

Add the diced onion and continue to cook, stirring and flipping with the spatula, until the vegetables are deeply browned and tender all the way through, about another 15 minutes. Remove the herb sprigs before serving. Taste and season with more salt if you like.