By Bev Davis
Some of the best sources of minerals never make it off of produce shelves because folks don’t know how to cook root vegetables.
“People shy away from them because maybe they’ve tasted turnips or parsnips that weren’t prepared well or they just have never tried them and don’t know what to do with them,” Beckley cooking instructor Sawsan Galal said.
Roasting is by far the best method for bringing out the best in root vegetables.
“Roasting brings out the natural sugars. People are so surprised to see how rutabagas or winter squash tastes when it’s been roasted with a little olive oil and some seasonings.”
It’s important to keep in mind the density and water content of different kinds of root vegetables, she said.
“You want to make sure to cut all the vegetables in a uniform size so they will cook at the same rate. The density and moisture content is different.”
Cutting these vegetables can take some practice.
“Always use a sharp knife and cut away from your body. Squash and pumpkins can be especially hard to cut. Some people soften them a bit by putting them in a hot oven for a while. However you choose to do it, it’s worth the effort because root vegetables are so high in so many nutrient values. We don’t eat enough of them,” Galal said.
Many people have never tried preparing these vegetables in a similar manner to their more common relatives such as potatoes.
“Mashed parsnips are better than mashed potatoes,” Galal said. “I’ve served them to people who raved about them and couldn’t believe they were parsnips.”
Here are a few recipes Galal adapted from epicurious.com.
Roasted root vegetables
2 large red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), cut into 11/4-inch-long by 1/2-inch-wide by 1/2-inch-thick strips
2 large fennel bulbs, cored, cut into 1/3-inch-thick wedges
1 large celery root (celeriac), peeled, cut into 1 1/4-inch-long by 1/2-inch-wide by 1/2-inch-thick strips
20 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon dried sage leaves
6 tablespoons olive oil
2 bunches green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup (about) vegetable stock or canned vegetable broth
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Combine first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Add olive oil and toss to coat. Spread vegetables out on large rimmed baking sheet. Roast vegetables until almost tender, stirring occasionally, about 50 minutes. Mix green onions and stock into vegetables. Bake until vegetables are just tender, about 15 minutes longer. Serves 8.
Root vegetable hash
with poached eggs
and parsley pesto
Pesto
2 cups (packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves (from 2 bunches)
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1 small garlic clove, peeled
Hash
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch dice peeled Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 pound)
2 1/2 cups 1/2-inch dice peeled parsnips
2 cups 1/2-inch dice peeled rutabagas
1 1/2 cups 1/2-inch dice peeled carrots
1/2 cup 1/2-inch dice red bell pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 green onions, sliced
4 large eggs
For pesto:
Blend all ingredients in processor until almost smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
For hash:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Spray large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Toss potatoes and next 5 ingredients on prepared sheet; spread in single layer. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables until tender, stirring and turning occasionally, about 45 minutes. Stir in garlic; roast 5 minutes longer. Mix in green onions. Fill large skillet halfway with generously salted water; bring to boil. Reduce heat to maintain steady simmer. Crack eggs, 1 at a time, into custard cup, then slide eggs into simmering water. Poach eggs until softly set, about 3 minutes.
Divide hash among 4 plates. Using slotted spoon, top each serving with 1 poached egg. Drizzle with pesto. Makes 4 servings.
Root vegetable cobbler
with chive biscuit topping
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 pounds white-skinned potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 3 2/3 cups)
One 8- to 9-ounce turnip, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large carrot, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2-ounce package dried porcini mushrooms
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
One 14 1/2-ounce can vegetable broth
1 cup water
1 cup whipping cream
8 ounces fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, caps diced
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Biscuit topping
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 large eggs
1/2 cup whole milk
For filling:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until deep golden, about 7 minutes. Add next 7 in-gredients and stir 1 minute. Add broth and 1 cup water; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until vegetables are almost tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in cream, shiitake mushrooms, peas and chives. Season to taste with salt. Bring mixture to simmer. Mix remaining 1 tablespoon butter and flour in small bowl to blend. Stir into vegetable mixture; simmer until mixture thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Divide vegetable mixture among six 2-cup soufflé or baking dishes; set aside. (Can be prepared 1 1/2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)
For biscuit topping:
Preheat oven to 425°F. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into bowl. Stir in chives. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture re-sembles coarse meal. Add eggs and milk and stir until soft moist dough forms.
Turn dough out onto generously floured surface. Knead gently just to combine. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces; pat out each piece to 31/2-inch round. Place 1 dough round atop vegetable filling in each dish (some filling will show around edges). Place dishes on large baking sheet. Bake until topping is golden and vegetable mixture is heated through, about 18 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Serve hot. Makes 6 servings.
