Root Vegetables: a Succulent Harvest
Different root
vegetables
Parsnips - a Neglected Delight
- Parsnips look like big creamy white carrots, resemble the
turnip in texture and have a delicate nutty
flavour. They are prepared just like
carrots or turnips for which they can be substituted in most
recipes.
- Great in soups and stews, parsnips are also tasty mashed, fried
like potatoes or raw and dressed with vinegar in salads.
- Cleaned or peeled, parsnips can be prepared like carrots, but should be cooked immediately when cut or put in a bowl of water with vinegar or lemon added to prevent discoloration.
- Bake steamed carrots with cream, grated cheese and a pinch of
nutmeg for a tasty au gratin dish or do them Moroccan-style with
oranges, cumin and coriander or Chinese-style, sliced diagonally
and cooked in chicken broth.
- Carrot-onion preserves flavoured with orange peel are delicious
with pâté or cheese!
- Although it's a classic, carrot cake isn't the only sweet thing
carrots can be used for! Try carrot jam, carrot-orange salad with
cinnamon, or a chilled drink of carrot juice, honey and coconut
milk.
Turnips and Rutabagas - Simple Goodness
- What we commonly call a turnip is actually a rutabaga. Real
turnips are smaller with white flesh and edible greens.
Stronger-tasting than turnips, rutabagas have yellow peel and
flesh.
- Turnips and rutabagas can be used interchangeably in most
recipes. Raw or cooked, they can be prepared in numerous
ways!
- Delicious mashed, in creamy soups and boiled dinners, turnips
and rutabagas combine well with potatoes, carrots, leeks and
cabbage.
- Alone steamed and dotted with parsley butter, braised with
honey or maple syrup, scalloped or cooked then sweetened with a
pinch of sugar to enhance their flavour, they make an appetizing
accompaniment for meat and fish. For a tasty variation on potato
latkes, fry patties of grated turnip or rutabaga in a little
fat.
- Raw or blanched and cooled, they make a surprising addition to
salads, unusual crudités or condiments, pickled Asian-style in
vinegar with sugar!
- Popular in Europe, but pretty much unknown here, celeriac
doesn't look like much, in fact it's downright
ugly. Its flesh however is
delightfully crisp, piquant and easy to prepare. Peel and rub with
lemon to prevent discoloration.
- For a variation on the classic «celeriac rémoulade», add some
grated apple and chopped nuts.
- Cooked celeriac can be mashed with other vegetables (potatoes,
carrots), grated Gruyère and milk or alone with a little nutmeg. It
pairs beautifully with fish and veal and adds flavour to soups and
stews.
- For an original new nosh or garnish, try celeriac chips. Simply
peel, slice very thin or cut into matchsticks and fry a few minutes
in oil.
 Pork Cottage Pie with Parsnip-Potato Mash |
 Maple Caramelized Vegetables |
 Pork and Root Vegetable Stew |
 Layered Turnip and Carrot Soups |
 Red Grill Angus Beef Medallions over Vegetable Mash |
 Navarin of Lamb |
 Apple-Celeriac Salad with Fried Brie |
 Celeriac-Carrot Salad |
 Vegetables soup |
 Slow Cooker Asian-Style Beef Pot Roast |
- To keep root vegetables fresh and crisp, remove leaves (or
tops) before storing. These greens draw the moisture and vitamins
out of the root.
- Radishes keep one week unwashed, in the fridge in a plastic
vegetable bag and the other root vegetables keep up to four
weeks.
- To glaze carrots, turnips or parsnips, cook them uncovered over
low heat in a little water with a bit of butter, a pinch of salt
and about 1 tablespoon (15 mL) sugar until all liquid has
evaporated. The vegetables will be covered with a smooth, glossy
coat.
- Carrot, radish, beet and turnip tops (fresh greens) can be used
like spinach in soups or purées.
- For a sensational look, surround a dish with a bright circle of
clove-scented beet or carrot coulis.
- Fresh herbs like chives, basil, parsley, coriander or tarragon
give root vegetables a special cachet.
Looking for a satisfying meatless main
dish?
For smooth, rich-tasting cream soups, roast root vegetables until
tender with a bit of water, butter, salt and sugar, stirring often.
In a blender, purée vegetables with chicken broth to desired
consistency. Roasting vegetables intensifies and locks in the
flavour, resulting in splendidly savoury soups.
Line a deep casserole with phyllo or pie dough, layer with slices
of your favourite cheese (cheddar, gouda, Emmenthal…) and thinly
sliced root vegetables. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with fresh
herbs and grated mozzarella. Bake at 350ºF (180ºC) until vegetables
are tender-crisp and crust is browned.