A Little Nip in the Air

The chilly breeze whipped right through my thin jeans as I stood waiting for the ferry this morning, and reminded me that in NYC, I can expect chillier. Tights might be in order, and gloves for sure.

We had planned to begin the root dicing project today. I even packed my own OXO peeler, because success is predicated on using the proper tools, you know. As it happened, the CUESA kitchen was being rented for a team-building event, so we were shut out, as it were. Poor Sarah. 120 pounds of roots that she'll have to peel without me.

My root article was expanded to include the descriptions that I put together. I'll give you an early look -- this will be included in Friday's e-letter, which CUESA distributes to 6,000 email subscribers.

A walk through the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in December dispels any beliefs that “there are no fresh vegetables during the winter.” Vendor after vendor offers baskets brimming with ruby red beets, husky carrots and plump turnips. The bounty of spring and summer gives way to a different sort of agricultural plenty: vegetables that will stay fresh for months, and see us through many cold and rainy days and nights.

The term “root vegetable” specifically refers to edible plant roots, though it is sometimes used to include anything that grows underground (tubers, such as potatoes, and enlarged stems, such as kohlrabi and beets). Roots store energy for plants in the form of carbohydrates and vary widely in their content of starches and sugars. Very starchy roots, such as sweet potato and cassava, are dietary staples in some cultures; roots with high sugar content like beets and carrots have historically been used for sweetening.

Some shoppers resist root vegetables, perhaps associating them with time-intensive preparations such as stews. Others harbor childhood nightmares of poorly prepared root vegetables or mushy canned beets. For them, a well-seasoned root vegetable can be a revelation.

Learn more about root vegetables at Saturday's Market, where CUESA will host a root vegetable tasting in addition to our regular Market to Table programs.

Guide to Root Vegetables
BEETS (family Chenopodiaceae) – typically red and globe-shaped; also available in white, golden, and Chioggia (candy cane) varieties. Beets have the highest sugar content of any vegetable, but are low in calories. Do not peel or cut before cooking. Red beets can stain your hands and clothing.

Serving suggestions: Add wedges to salad with green beans and goat cheese; toss with herb butter; make into borscht, a hearty Eastern European soup.

PARSNIPS (family Apiaceae) – resemble ivory-colored carrots. Pleasantly sweet, with earthy herbal notes. In ancient times, parsnips were used as a sweetener. Parsnips require frost to convert some of the plant starch into sugar. They can be left in the ground until needed.

Serving suggestions: Boil with potatoes and mash together. Or toss roasted parsnips with nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, or allspice and a little brown sugar or maple syrup.

CARROTS (family Apiaceae) – available in white, purple and gold, in addition to orange. High in beta-carotene, which is converted in the body to Vitamin A. Store carrots away from apples or pears which create ethylene gas, which can turn carrots bitter. Carrots are commonly used for both savory and sweet dishes.

Serving suggestions: Shred raw carrots and mix with olive oil, lemon juice, and rosemary to make a salad. Add carrots to beef stew, tomato sauce, vegetable soup, or stir-fries. Make carrot cake, carrot torte, or carrot pudding.

TURNIPS (family Brassicaceae) – usually white-fleshed and round, with purple-tinged skin. In Japanese and Arab cuisines, turnips are often pickled; in China, they are sundried and salted or preserved in soy sauce.

Serving suggestions: Dress shredded raw turnips, cabbage, and carrots with sharp mustard vinaigrette and poppy seeds to make a slaw. Make a gratin of paper-thin turnip slices, cream, and parmigiano-reggiano cheese.

RUTABAGAS (family Brassicaceae) – usually yellow-fleshed and round, larger than turnips. Rutabagas are a hybridization of cabbage and turnip. In Europe, they’re often called “swedes”.

Serving suggestions: Add diced rutabagas to chicken pot pie. Use julienned raw rutabagas on a crudités tray.

RADISHES (family Brassicaceae) – usually round but sometimes elongated; typically red skinned with white interior; peppery flavor. Watermelon radishes have green skins and red interiors. Radishes are typically eaten raw, in salads, as an appetizer, or as a garnish.

Serving suggestions: “Perhaps the most satisfactory way to eat them is to hold what is left of the green stalk between one’s fingers, rub the radish over a piece of butter, dip it in salt, and eat it with bread and butter.” (Davidson)

SWEET POTATOES (family Convolvulaceae) – not related to potatoes or to yams, which grow – mainly in Africa and Asia -- deep underground (as much as 6 feet) and therefore not eaten much except in famines. Cultivated in the Americas for over 2000 years. Rare in Europe (require hot-house cultivation in cool climates). Two main varieties: orange-fleshed and squash-like (like Garnets) and pale fleshed and fluffy when cooked (like Jersey Yellows).

Serving suggestions: Cut into sticks and fry like French fries. Mash and combine with crème fraiche and minced chipotles with adobo sauce.

CELERY ROOT (or celeriac) (family Apiaceae) – softball sized root with thick wrinkly brown skin. A special variety of celery where the root is cultivated, rather than the leaf stems. Flavor is like a cross between parsley and mild celery. Keep pieces in acidulated water after peeling so that they don’t brown.

Serving suggestions: Classic French preparation, raw with rémoulade sauce (mayonnaise, capers, gherkins, anchovies, mustard); mashed or puréed with potatoes; added to beef stew.

SUNCHOKES (or JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES) (family Asteraceae) – wrinkly small brown root, looks similar to ginger. Related to sunflowers, but not to artichokes; native to Canada. Avoid cooking in aluminum or iron pans, which will cause sunchokes to turn an unappealing grey color.

Serving suggestions: Grate sunchokes and make savory pancakes by combining with eggs, flour, and shredded onion. Deep-fry thin slices to make nutty sunchoke chips.

JICAMA (family Fabaceae) – large hard globe-shaped root with thin brown skin. Retains water chestnut-like texture even when briefly cooked. The rest of the plant is very poisonous.

Serving suggestions: Cut into squares and add to fruit salad. Serve sticks of jicama with a squeeze of lime juice and a shake of chili powder. Stir-fry with chicken or shrimp.

DAIKON (family Brassicaceae) – long, dense cucumber-shaped roots also known as Oriental radish or mooli – often included in stir-fries, or pickled (as in Korean kimchi).

Serving suggestion: Steam daikon with shredded carrots, then dress with vinaigrette made with rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and chopped cilantro.

SALSIFY (family Asteraceae) – white carrot-like root sometimes called “oyster plant”; tender roots break easily and are difficult to harvest. Quickly goes from tender to mushy, so cook gently.

Serving suggestions: Braise with chicken, onions, mushrooms and stock. Mash with parmagiano reggiano and form into croquettes, and pan-fry.

BURDOCK (family Asteraceae) – woody-looking root most popular in Japan (where it’s called “gobo”) and elsewhere in Pacific Rim countries, and featured in macrobiotic diets. Skin looks thick but is actually very thin.

Serving suggestions: “Kimpira,” a Japanese dish – lightly fry slices of carrot and burdock, then sprinkle with sesame seeds, soy sauce, and dashi. Stir-fry with thinly sliced beef marinated in mirin and sake.

HORSERADISH (family Brassicaceae) – long knobby root, used as a condiment. Hot spicy bite which develops when root is grated or ground. Vinegar is used to stabilize this process. Loses flavor if it’s cooked. Horseradish is one of the “bitter herbs” used in the Jewish Seder supper.

Serving suggestions: Add grated horseradish, salt, and lemon juice or vinegar to sour cream and serve with cold roast beef or asparagus. Make homemade cocktail sauce with ketchup or chili sauce and grated horseradish.

GINGER (family Zingiberaceae) -- not a root but a rhizome (horizontal subterranean stem) Knobby with smooth, shiny skin. Intensely fragrant and spicy. Widely used in both sweet (mostly Western) and savory (mostly Asian) foods.

Serving suggestions: Chop or grate ginger with garlic as a base for Asian stir-fries or Indian or Southeast Asian curries. Add minced ginger to steak marinades with soy sauce, molasses, toasted sesame oil, chopped ginger, dry mustard, hot red pepper flakes, and scallions.

I'm working on a new project for Sarah that involves collecting contact information from culinary programs throughout the country. You'd think that I'd be sick of culinary school by now, but reading program information just made me feel nostalgic and wanting more. Except for the hat thing.