Pity the poor root vegetable. Dirty, misshapen, they have none of the tantalizing sexiness of tomatoes, the trendiness of kale, the smooth beauty of eggplants.
Nope, root vegetables look odd, and people have no idea what to do with them. On more than one occasion I have been accosted by someone in the grocery store wanting to know what the hairy, bulbous thing in my hand was. Telling them it's celeriac puts them no further ahead, because knowing the name of it doesn't explain what the heck you do with it.
Here's a little primer on root vegetables to get you started. Forget the green salad with dinner tonight — have a turnip instead! For some truly mouth-watering recipes, I suggest you have a look through "Roots" by Diane Morgan, a comprehensive guide and a fine collection of recipes.
1. Celeriac
Also known as celery root, celeriac has a delicate celery taste. (But in case you're wondering, it's not the root of a celery plant.) You can grate it and saute it, use it in soups or eat it raw in a remoulade. It's loaded with fiber, vitamin B, vitamin C and vitamin K.
2. Jerusalem artichokes
Neither an artichoke, nor from Jerusalem, these are the tubers of sunflowers and probably derive their name from the Italian for sunflower, girolsole. They have a crisp, nutty flavor, especially when sauteed. I have roasted them, pickled them and made fantastic soups with them. They make a great substitution for potatoes.
3. Parsnips
Parsnips resemble anaemic carrots and are naturally quite sweet. They can be used in soups and stews and are particularly wonderful roasted. Parsnips have more vitamins than their cousin, the carrot, and they have lots of potassium.
4. Rutabaga
A staple of my childhood, the rutabaga was originally a cross between a cabbage and a turnip. You can roast them, mash them or add them to soups. Lots of vitamin C here: 100 grams will provide you with about 40 percent of your daily requirement.
5. Sweet potatoes
People often confuse sweet potatoes with yams, but they are different things altogether. Sweet potatoes are incredibly versatile and you can cook them just about any way you like — roasted, fried, boiled or baked in bread. They have lots of vitamin C and vitamin A, and they have more beta-carotene than any other vegetable.
6. Turnips
Turnips are part of the mustard family, as are horseradish, radishes and rutabagas. They can be roasted, used in stews and soups. Interestingly enough, there isn't a lot of nutritional value in the turnip, other than vitamin C. Most of the nutrients reside in the greens of the plant.
