Savoury Crumble

So things are in disarray at chez Pot to put it mildly. Boxes are strewn everywhere, some already filled and tightly duct-taped, others still waiting to fulfill their destiny and spending their time hiding from the cats who have deemed them the perfect toys. Diving underneath them, running over them, climbing into them - yup, it's a grand old time to be a kitty at the flat. Add to that rolls of tape and string and you've got the makings of cat paradise. I think they'll be quite disappointed once we're settled in the new house and all the packing paraphernalia has been tossed out. 

With most of the kitchen packed up, our meals have become quite simple. Already a big fan of one pot meals, I've started to rely a lot more on my oven as well, leaving us with plenty of time to tackle the rest of the packing. This was one such occasion, and although it's intended as a side-dish, it did quite a good job as main dish. The savoury crumb topping contrasts beautifully with the almost caramelised roast veggies underneath, making for some very happy (albeit tired) bellies.

{Things might be a little quiet around here for the next week or so while we pack the last of our things and settle in on the other side, but never fear, I've got a couple of lovely guestposters lined up, so keep your eyes peeled for some great posts from them.}

Savoury Crumble
Adapted from Taste
Serves 4 - 6

This makes for a very substantial side-dish and would be magnificent with an oven roast. Or you can do as I did and have this as the mains - it's certainly satisfying enough.

1 medium onion, cut into chunks
2 sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into bite-sized pieces
3 small beetroots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
5 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
500g jerusalem artichokes*, scrubbed clean (and halved if bigger)
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 tsp minced garlic
1/3 cup (35g) grated parmesan

*You may know them as sunchokes and they look like this.

1. Arrange onions, sweet potatoes, beetroots, carrots and jerusalem arthichokes in a medium sized casserole dish. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp of salt, then toss roughly to coat.
2. Place in oven at 180C for 30 - 40 minutes (or until cooked through), turning once.
3. Mix breadcrumbs, garlic, parmesan and the remainder of the salt (1/4 tsp), then sprinkle over the roasted veggies, ensure the crumb topping is spread out evenly. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes to crisp on top.