TURNIP AND SWEET POTATO GRATIN

Food magazines are like crack to me. It's hard to walk by the supermarket checkout without adding one to my order. I wouldn't want to add up what I spend on this addiction; between these impulse buys and the yearly subscriptions that I convince myself save me money in the long run, I could probably eat out once a week if I could kick the habit. How about the rest of you? Do I see a new 12-step program for foodies in our future?

I confess it was the Christmas cookies on the cover that convinced me to buy this month's Everyday Food. I didn't renew my subscription because I didn't find myself using many recipes, but I occasionally pick up a copy. I'm so happy I did because it contains a number of recipes for turnips, one of my favorite root vegetables. The first one I decided to try was this gratin of turnip and sweet potato.

Serves 8
1 1/2 lbs turnips, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick rounds
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch rounds
2 tbs unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup (4 oz) grated Gruyere cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an 8 inch square baking dish, arrange a single layer of turnips and sweet potatoes, overlapping slightly. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle them with one-third of the flour. Repeat to make 3 more layers. Dot top layer with butter, then slowly pour the broth and wine into the dish, being sure to keep the layers intact. Cover tightly with foil and bake until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a knife, about 45 minutes.

Increase the oven temperature to 425 degrees. Remove the foil and sprinkle the cheese over the vegetables. Bake until the cheese is goden and bubbling, 12 - 15 minutes. Let gratin sit for 10 minutes before serving. (NI: 156 cal; 4.8 g fat; 4.5 g protein; 27.6 g carb; 4.3 g fiber)
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TASTE NOTES
I knew this was a winner just by looking at that bubbling, browned top, but I hadn't expected it to be so very sweet. DSO kept asking what was in it (thinking sugar of some kind). It was incredibly flavorful. If you're a fan of Gruyere--which we are--you'll love how its prominent flavor plays off that sweetness. I could have gobbled up half of this gratin, no problem, but I didn't. Served with Ina's roast pork (recipe here) and some sauteed broccoli rabe, it was a perfect cold weather meal. I'm going to try it with a  rutabaga and sweet potato combination next.