Root vegetable rosti-a-likes.

I had some veg from last week to use up last night, to make room in the fridge for all the lovely veg that rjw1 got from the market earlier in the day. So I made something inspired by rosti. I served them with courgettes cubed and cooked with sliced garlic to the point of caramelisation, watercress and tomato salad with olive oil/balsamic vinegar/sugar/salt/pepper dressing, and a couple of sirloin steaks cooked by Bob.

Root vegetable patties

Peel and grate 2 sweet potatoes, 3 smallish parsnips, and 1/2 a thing of celeriac. Season well with salt (though don't over-season; you won't be rinsing it off), mix, and leave to drain in a clean teatowel draped inside a colander. I left mine for about half an hour. When you're ready to use them, twist up the teatowel and squeeze to remove excess liquid from the vegetables.

Mix the grated veg with 1/4 large onion, finely grated; 1 egg, beaten; freshly ground black pepper; and herbs to taste (I used dried ones - thyme, basil, tarragon, and oregano). Sprinkle over and mix in just enough flour to make it hold loosely together when you squeeze it firmly in your fist. It doesn't have to hold together as firmly as a dough would; it will bind more firmly as it cooks. I think I used about 2-3 Tbsp of flour.

Grab small handfuls of the mixture, squeeze together, flatten into little cakes and place on a greased baking tray. Brush them with oil. Cook them in the oven at 220C for 15 minutes, then gently loosen them from the tray with a fish slice, carefully turn them over, and flatten them down slightly with the back of the fish slice. Brush with more oil, and give them another 15 minutes at 200C.

They'll hold together reasonably well, but do be gentle with them when handling and serving.