I adapted this dish from one of those recipe cards that Waitrose supermarkets (UK) give out.

It’s perfect for an autumn/fall brunch or light supper with it’s nutritious and comforting blend of skillet-browned, diced root vegetables and Tuscan (dinosaur) kale.

The poached egg makes it a complete meal but you could serve the root veg hash without it as a side dish with lamb, beef or whatever you fancy. It’s quite robust in flavor so I wouldn’t recommend serving it with delicate fish but a piece of grilled salmon would be a very good complement.

The addition of cumin seeds gives it just the necessary spike in flavor it needs and I recommend adding a good splash of Tabasco Chipotle hot sauce before you tuck in.

Finally; it seems to me that many people in the US are a bit suspicious of root vegetables – apart from the ubiquitous carrot which I’ve excluded here – so, here’s a perfect opportunity to add parsnips and turnips to your culinary repertoire and be a bit more like the French (or British) in your kitchen.

Kale & Root Vegetable Hash with Poached Egg.

ROOT VEG HASH with KALE & POACHED EGG

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

4 medium sized parsnips, peeled and cut into approx ½ inch (1cm) dice

1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, peeled and cut the same size as the parsnips

1 large or 2 small to medium white turnips, peeled cut the same as the other veg

7 oz (200g) approx of dinosaur kale, shredded and stalks discarded

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

Sea salt

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (I use either grape seed or avocado oil as they work best at high temps)

Chipotle Tabasco or whatever hot/tangy sauce you prefer

Action:

Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to the boil and add the diced vegetables (not the kale) – simmer for 12-15 minutes until they’re tender then throw in the shredded kale. Simmer for another 4 minutes until the kale is well and truly wilted then drain everything thoroughly. (You can prep the veg ahead to this point).

Heat the oil in a wide heavy sauté pan and add the cumin seeds; stir them around until they color slightly then add the cooked veg. Give everything a good stir, flatten the veg down a bit and allow everything to brown underneath, undisturbed for about 10 minutes. You’ll want some crispy bits.

Meanwhile, poach your eggs.

Divide the hash between 4 warmed plates and slide an egg on top of each mound of root veg hash.

Offer a selection of sauces to pour-splash-dash over the lot.