Front Burner: Embrace your roots (vegetables, that is)
They’re weird-looking, they’re dirty, and for a long time, nobody wanted anything to do with them.
But much like awkward teenagers, root vegetables clean up well and their positive attributes shine through. Over the past few years, they’ve even become popular.
Five to 10 years ago, local produce distributor Tenley Weaver of Good Food-Good People couldn’t unload products such as turnips, parsnips and celeriac in Southwest Virginia. Even customers who had heard of those veggies weren’t sure how to prepare them or whether they would like them.
But thanks to the local food movement and experimental chefs, root vegetables are now en vogue. During the winter, when high-demand crops such as summer squash, tomatoes and green beans are finished in Virginia, we still can find three major categories of produce at farmers markets, in farm-share baskets and at local food restaurants: greens, winter squash and root vegetables.
Celeriac (aka celery root) has been offered by Good Food-Good People for five years, but Weaver said that first year she probably couldn’t sell 100 pounds of it. This year, she contracted with local farmers to grow 2,000 pounds.
“I was a bit nervous that I exceeded public demand,” she said, “but they are really moving.”
It probably helps that diners are tasting delicious preparations of root vegetables at local restaurants or are seeing more sophisticated recipes in print or online. Gone are the days of simply peeling and boiling root veggies and plopping them on a plate (although some folks still enjoy them that way, too).
To continue reading this column, click here.
Do you like root veggies? If so, what is your favorite and how do you like them prepared?
Click these links to see recipes:
Cassoulet with Root Vegetables (from Bruno Silva, chef/owner, The Landing, Bruno’s GastroPub and Bruno’s GastroTruck)
Roasted Roots with Honey Dijon Dressing (from Chris Parkhurst, chef/owner, Firefly Fare)
November 14, 2012 - 9:53 AM
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It’s hard to pick a favorite from the numerous types. Guess I’d have to say I’ve never met a root vegetable that I didn’t like. My favorite method of preparation for all root veggies (with potatoes being an exception) is to peel and dice, toss with oil and seasonings and oven roast. This application is great for other veggies, as well. While not a fan of pre-mixed seasonings, Mrs. Dash Original, along with salt and granulated garlic is as tasty as many fresh herbs that I’ve tried. No matter how you “dig” it, root veggies are not only good for you, they taste good, too!
That’s a yummy-sounding cooking method, Vickie. Roasted veggies are sooo good. It strikes me that a simple roasted veggie would be great for Thanksgiving dinner especially when we have to spend so much time doing all the other dishes, like the turkey and pies.
Vickie’s right, and I even chop the florets off of broccoli and cook it this way. I throw a few cloves of garlic in the mix too and bake for a long time at 300. I use balsamic in with the oil and just salt and pepper…the veggies get sweet and delicious.
Enjoyed this article. In high school Home Ec. in Arlington VA had an assignment to bring in a raw vegetable to learn how to cook it! Chose parsnips because I’d never had them. Wow! Great way to teach kids about veggies.
My favorite root vegetable is beets. I love the sauce K&W has on theirs and when they have them, I order two!
I love pickled beets! And all of the other root veggies, too, except for parsnips. My Father-in-law loved parsnips. He’d boil them and potatoes together in water w/ butter & salt/pepper. I could eat them but didn’t really like them. My mom has a recipe where she tosses cauliflower & garlic in olive oil and several other things then bakes it.