Ingredient Title Chef Category

Root around for some great veggies

We are so sold on fresh, fresh, fresh, that we seem to have forgotten that until the invention of the home freezer, most people in the northern climes spent their winters thinking of clever ways to serve root vegetables.

These are the vegetables that used to spend their winters buried in sand in your grandmother's basement or root cellar. Having been raised on carrots, beets, parsnips, turnips, rutabagas, I love them. I also love the fact that they are among the least expensive and most nutritious foods we can serve these days.

Here are a few ways of preparing vegetable roots to offer a variation from salt, pepper and butter. Nothing wrong with that but it can become a bit boring.

Scalloped Carrots and Turnips

Most of the nutrients lie just under the skin, so only peel when necessary.

2 medium-size carrots, thinly sliced
3 medium-size turnips, peeled and thinly sliced
1 large crisp apple (not Red Delicious), cored and thinly sliced

Sauce:

4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon dry thyme leaves
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 F. Butter a shallow baking dish. Arrange half of the carrot slices to cover bottom of dish. Cover evenly with half of the turnips and then half of the apple. Spoon half of the sauce over these layers. Repeat layering and then pour on remaining sauce. Sauce: Heat butter and flour in saucepan over medium heat; whisking to prevent lumps. Gradually whisk in milk and thyme and continue to whisk until it comes to a boil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake covered for 30 minutes; remove cover, sprinkle evenly with cheese, and continue baking until cheese begins to brown and vegetables are tender when pierced, 25 to 30 minutes longer. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Rutabaga Puree

Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand uncovered at room temperature. Re-warm over medium heat, stirring often.

3 pounds rutabagas, peeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper

Cook rutabagas in large pot of boiling, salted water until very tender, about 45 minutes. Drain well. Transfer to processor and puree until smooth, or mash with a hand potato masher, or a hand mixer. Return to the pot. Stir over medium heat until excess liquid evaporates. Add butter; stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper and seasoning salt (if you like). Makes 6 servings.

Potato Parsnip Cakes

Some people serve these as a first course or as an hors d'oeuvre but they are excellent as a side dish. You can accompany them with applesauce and/or sour cream as you would with potato latkes.

1 large baking potato, peeled
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 medium parsnips, peeled and coarsely grated
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons finely chopped onion or chives
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil, for frying

Preheat oven to 250 F. Coarsely grate potato into a bowl. Add lemon juice and toss to combine. Place potato on towel, then gather up corners to form a sack and twist tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Stir potato together with parsnips, flour, eggs, onion, salt and pepper, until combined well. Heat oil in skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Fill a l/4-cup measure 3/4 full with mixture and carefully spoon it into skillet, then flatten to 3-inches in diameter. Cook a number of cakes at a time, about 1 1/2-minutes on each side. Transfer with a spatula to paper towels to drain. Keep warm on a rack set in a shallow baking pan in oven. Makes about 16 cakes.

Glazed Turnips

This is a nice side dish with roasted meats or poultry.

2 pounds small to medium (2-inch) turnips
1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons water or chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Peel turnips, then halve horizontally and quarter halves. Arrange turnips in a layer in 12-inch skillet and add enough water to reach halfway up turnips. Add butter, sugar and salt and boil covered, stirring occasionally for 10 minutes. Boil turnips, uncovered, stirring, until tender and water has evaporated, about 8 minutes. Sauté turnips, stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons water and stir to coat turnips with glaze. Makes 4 servings.

Root around for more good recipes for roots!

Beverly G. Barbour-Soules
1755 Filbert Street, 1M
San Francisco, CA 94123
Telephone: 415-440-3602
Fax (call 1st): 415-440-3602

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