Root Vegetable Recipes

Get ready to warm up your kitchen this winter; we have seven tasty root crop recipes by Kate Savage and Karen Keb Acevedo, Hobby Farms publications editor in chief, for you to try.

If you’re intrigued by root crops, you’ll want to pick up a copy of Hobby Farms Jan/Feb 2008 issue and read Jessica Walliser’s article, “Root Crops.”

Radish Salsa
From Cooking with Heirlooms, by Karen Keb Acevedo
Radishes grow quickly, especially in cool weather, so they are planted in spring and in fall. French breakfast is a short-season radish that grows in just 23 days. Dating back to 1879 Europe, it’s widely grown today by heirloom enthusiasts.

Ingredients

• 1/2 lg. shallot or red onion
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 cup rice wine or white vinegar
• 1 lemon (for juice and zest)
• 1 1/2 cups finely diced heirloom radish, such as French Breakfast
• 1 jalapeno, minced with or without seeds (depending on desired heat)
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 T. olive oil
• 2 tsp. dried cilantro
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation
Finely chop the shallot and place in a medium bowl. Add the 1 teaspoon salt, and cover with the vinegar and lemon juice. Allow to stand for 20 minutes at room temperature. Strain the shallot, reserving the liquid. Add the radish, jalapeno and garlic to the shallot. Stir in the olive oil. Add the lemon zest and cilantro, and then season with salt and pepper. Add as much of the reserved vinegar as desired. Let the mixture stand for at least 30 minutes before serving with sesame crackers.

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© Kate Savage About Kate Kate Savage is a freelance writer and professional chef/caterer. She has been in the catering business for more than 26 years. She is the owner of Bleu Ribbon Catering in Lexington, Ky.

Celeriac Gratin
From Kate Savage, freelance writer and professional chef/caterer
Creamy and rich.  A winter winner!  Aromatic flavours that work wonders with any roast, especially pork, goose and game birds, or even as a course on its own.  A spin on the traditional potato gratin only using the “ugly duckling” of the root vegetable world.

Ingredients

• 3 T. olive oil or any oil infusion
• 2½ lb. celeriac peeled and roughly sliced
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 2 fresh red chilies, finely chopped
• 6 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 cups half and half

Preparation
Heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly oil a gratin or casserole dish. Peel the celeriac and slice thinly. Combine the finely chopped garlic, chili, anchovy and rosemary. Place a layer of celeriac in the prepared dish and sprinkle with the combined seasonings. Repeat this layering.  Pour the half and half on top, just so that it’s visible around the edges of the dish but doesn’t completely cover the celeriac.  Drizzle with the oil and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the celeriac is tender and the top browned and crisp.  Finish under the broiler for that extra crispy look.  Sprinkled chopped parsley is a great embellishment. Serves Six

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Parsnip Puree
From Cooking with Heirlooms, by Karen Keb Acevedo
You can serve this with pot roast or even with a hearty fish such as salmon–it creates an interesting flavor combination with the sweet apple and aromatic parsnip.

Ingredients

• 5 medium-size heirloom parsnips, such as The Student
• 1 medium-size sweet apple
• 1 medium-size heirloom potato, such as Bintje
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation
Peel and dice the parsnips and apple into medium-size pieces. Dice the poato in to small pieces. Place the parsnips, apple and potato in cold water in a deep saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat and cook on medium heat until the potato is tender. Drain well. Place the mixture in a food processor and blend for about 2 minutes. Add the butter, cream, salt and pepper, then pulse for another minute or until the cream and butter are mixed through. Keep warm until ready to serve.

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English Roast Root Vegetables
From Cooking with Heirlooms, by Karen Keb Acevedo
The lard or shortening give the vegetables in this recipe a wonderful cripsness you just can’t achieve with oil.

Ingredients

• 4 medium heirloom russet potatoes, such as Russet Burbank
• 3 medium heirloom parsnips, such as The Student
• 1 cup lard or shortening
• Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Peel and quarter the potatoes. Peel and cut the parsnips into equal-sized pieces. Parboil the potatoes and parsnips in salted water for about two minutes, then drain well. Melt the lard or shortening in a large roasting pan in the oven. Add the pototoes and parships, being careful not to splash the oil. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, turning every 10 minutes until browned and crisp on all sides. Drain on paper towels, and season to taste. Let stand 1 or 2 minutes before serving.

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Roasted Beet Salad
With Hot-Smoked Salmon, Soured Cream and Dill Dressing

From Kate Savage, freelance writer and professional chef/caterer
A delicious and pretty salad for any time of the year.  Add boiled waxy potatoes to make this dish more substantial if you want to serve as an entree.

© Kate Savage

Ingredients

• 1 lb. small raw beets
• Olive oil
• ½ lb. hot-smoked salmon
• 4 handfuls of baby spinach leaves/salad greens
• 1 T. extra virgin olive oil
• Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Dressing

• 4 oz. sour cream
• 2 T. milk
• 1 T. white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
• ½ tsp. sugar
• 2 T. finely chopped fresh dill

Preparation
Prepare dressing by combining all the ingredients.  Adust the flavours to suit your preference (sweeter/hotter) and then chill until ready to serve. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Trim the beets leaving some of the stalk attached. Drizzle a little olive oil over them, wrap in foil, put in a small pan and roast for 1-11/2 hours or until tender.  Whilst still warm, rub or peel off the skins.  Beware as beets will stain your hands so wear gloves or work with a fork and a sharp knife.   Cut beets into quarters or halves depending on their size. Break up the salmon into large flakes. Toss the spinach or salad greens with the extra virgin olive oil and lemon adjust with salt and pepper.  Divide between the four plates and add the salmon and beets.  Drizzle over the dressing.  Serve warm, room temp or chilled.  Delicious at any degree. Serves four.

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Rutabaga, Carrot and Potato Pulao
From Kate Savage, freelance writer and professional chef/caterer
A Persian variation of the Middle Eastern Pilaf or the Mediterranean Paella. This dish is made with saffron scented basmati rice from the foothills of the Himalaya.  Remember that rice is always measured by volume, not by weight.

© Kate Savage

Ingredients

• A pinch of saffron strands or ½ tsp. of turmeric
• ½ cup sunflower oil
• 2 cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp. cumin seeds
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 1 T. cardamom pods, crushed
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken
• 2 bay leaves
• ½ cauliflower head, broken into florets
• 1 rutabaga, peeled, and cut into ½-inch cubes
• 2 potatoes cut into ½-inch cubes
• 1 cup of shelled green peas, fresh or frozen
• 1 carrot, cut into small cubes
• 2 cups basmati rice, wash and drained
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• Pinch of sugar
• 4 zucchinis, cut into 1-inch chunks

Garnishings:
Chopped cashews, pistachios and cilantro leaves.

Preparation
Put saffron strands into a small bowl and cover with boiling water to infuse for as long as it takes to boil the rice.
Heat ½ cup of the sunflower oil in a large heavy-bottom saucepan.  Add the cloves and cumin seeds and sauté for about 10 seconds.  Add the sliced onions and stir-fry until soft and translucent.  Add the cardamom, cinnamon, bay leaves, cauliflower, rutabaga, potatoes, peas and carrot.  Stir-fry until covered with oil, the cover with a lid, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. 

Stir in the rice, add 4 cups of water, the ginger and sugar.  Bring to a boil, cover with a lid, reduce the heat and simmer until all the water has been absorbed the rice is fluffy – about 10-12 minutes. 

Do not lift the lid or you will spoil the rice. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a small skillet, add the zucchinis, and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes at a high heat until lightly browned but still firm.  Set aside. Turn the rice out onto a serving dish, add the zucchinis, then sprinkle the cashews, pistachios, and cilantro.  Carefully drizzle the saffron liquid to make yellow trails in the rice.  Serves six.

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Rutabaga and Tomato Stew
From Kate Savage, freelance writer and professional chef/caterer
A hearty combination of vegetables.  Satisfying as an entrée served. With a green salad and fresh crusty bread.  Hard to beat on a cold winter night.  The red onion relish and corn slices are a great finish! 

Ingredients

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 T. minced garlic
• 1 lb. onions, finely chopped
• 1 lb. tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 T. coarse salt
• ¾ tsp. dried oregano
• ¼ tsp. freshly ground white pepper
• ½ cup water/stock
• 4 lbs. rutabaga, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 cups of corn kernels
• 1 cups of shelled fresh or frozen peas
• 1 ear of corn cut into ½ inch thick slices
• Red onion relish*

Preparation
Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and stir for one minute.  Add onions.  Reduce heat to low and cook until onions begin to turn colour, stirring occasionally.  Mix in tomatoes, salt, oregano and pepper.  Cook until tomatoes are tender.  Add water and bring to boil.  Mix in Rutabaga and simmer until tender, stirring occasionally for about 25 minutes.  Mix corn kernels, cover and simmer 5 minutes.  Mix in peas and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.  Adjust seasonings. Meanwhile, cook corn slices in boiling water until just tender, about three minutes.  Drain.  Garnish stew with slices and onion relish. Serves six

* Red Onion Relish

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. red onions, halved and cut into fine julienne
• 2 tsp. coarse salt
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• ¼ cup pitted sliced Kalamata olives
• 1 jalapeno chili, seeded and cut into fine julienne
• Fresh ground white pepper

Preparation
Combine onions and salt in large bowl.  Let stand 1 hour.  Place onions in strainer.  Rinse thoroughly; drain well.  Return to bowl.  Mix in oil, then vinegar, olives, chili and pepper.  Adjust season.  (Can be prepared a week ahead and refrigerated.) Makes 8 cups.

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