Winter
vegetables – 3 – Root Vegetables
Most
of the recipes in this blog are not my own but, are ones I have used
successfully – do try them
Root vegetables
- the mainstay of winter vegetables which, of course, can span several
and all seasons if one thinks of carrots and I’m not thinking of shop bought
carrots.
Having said that, I have failed, totally, to provide
all year round carrots for my household and in some years have failed to
provide them for any season.
My ground, being heavy clay, is not the best type
for carrots. It isn’t stony, which is a bonus but, nonetheless, I really need
to till the ground to a fairly fine tilth to a good depth (10 -12 inches or
25-30cms) to give a suitable ground for carrots to grow in. I have had some
success with certain varieties but, carrot root fly is a serious problem.
Carrot resistant varieties like Resistafly and
Flyaway have been quite successful, as have some of the less fragrant types
like the white or cream varieties – Créme de Lite and Blanc á
colet vert. These grow satisfyingly large carrots which are tender, delicious
and reasonably unattractive to carrot root fly, possibly because they don’t
have a dramatic carroty aroma or flavour. They will sit quite well in the
ground, even into late autumn though, I have found that the longer I leave them
in the ground the worse the carrotfly damage has become. Not really surprising.
I don’t have facilities for storing carrots successfully so, at the moment I
have no option. As I have said in previous blogs, it doesn’t seem to matter
that I sow them into raised beds or even in metre high ‘carrot boxes’, the
carrot fly have still invaded my crops. Inter-planting with marigolds has made
little or no difference to the carrot fly although, I find, that the aroma from
those plants makes me nauseous! In 2012 I intend to use environmesh to keep the
flies out. I will report back on that in the new season – onwards and upwards!
To add extra vegetables to yours and your children's menu so that they won't notice( well, not really) - add sliced carrot, parsnip, turnip to potatoes when you are cooking for mash - then mash up together with freshly crushed pepper and seasalt - a knob of butter is good! Try also adding broccoli or sliced cabbage to boiling potatoes 3 - 4 minutes from the end. Add pepper and sea salt and chop up well before serving - delicious!
Parsnips are, of course, a must and have a long
harvesting season, once you can get them established. I have found that sowing
them too early (in February as suggested on some seed packets) can lead to a
very low or zero germination rate. They can be harvested from July – wonderful
young tender roots until late spring, when you might find that the centres of
the roots become a bit ‘woody’ and need to be cut out. But, aren’t they a
wonderful, flavoursome and useful vegetable.
Parsnips Recipes
Roasted
parsnips – from ‘British and Irish Recipes’
The much maligned parsnip comes into its own when
roasted in the oven. In this roast parsnip recipe the oven roasting brings out
the sweetness of the parsnip and creates a slightly caramelized outside.
Delicious.
Prep
Time: 10 minutes
Cook
Time: 45 minutes
Total
Time: 55 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 lb/500g parsnips, peeled
- 2 tbsp goose fat, lard, dripping or vegetable
oil
- Salt
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 425F/220C/Gas 7
- Cut the parsnips into even bite-sized chunks.
Place them in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil.
Once boiling reduce the heat an simmer for 5 mins.
- Heat the fat in a roasting tin until very hot
but not burning. Carefully tip the parsnips into the hot fat. Using a
tablespoon coat each piece with hot fat, this will prevent the parsnips
from sticking.
- Return the roasting tin to the oven and roast
for 20 mins. Turn all the parsnips over and roast for a further 20 mins or
until the parsnips are golden brown.
- Serve
immediately.
Parsnip Croquettes ( recipe from
‘Gourmet Britain’) this is a wonderful for all roasted meat
dishes. While this is not my recipe it is exactly as I would have made these
croquettes when I was at college. Totally delicious!
·
900g/2
lbs Parsnips, peeled and with any hard core removed - cut into pieces
·
225g/8 oz
Potato (floury-type), peeled and cut into pieces the same side as the parsnips
·
1
teaspoon (5ml) Salt
- 60g/2 oz Butter
- plenty of freshly-ground Black Pepper
- 1 scant teaspoon (3ml) freshly-grated Nutmeg
- Dried Breadcrumbs
- 2 Eggs, beaten with a little salt
- Oil for deep frying or oil and butter
Method:
- Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add
the parsnip and potato pieces.
- Simmer them for about 20 minutes or until
they're tender.
- Drain the vegetables and pass through a
mouli-légume - or mash carefully to remove all lumps.
- Mix in the butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- Allow to cool until they"re cool enough
to handle then shape them into croquettes a little bigger than a cork.
- Dip each in the egg wash, then roll them in
the breadcrumbs until they are fully covered.
- Deep-fry at 200°C/400°F until they're golden
brown or shallow fry in a mixture of oil and butter.
Beetroots are one of my favourites, especially as a
pickle or chutney. They are easy to germinate and establish and will sit a long
time into the winter as a useable root. This year, I have learned to appreciate
them as a vegetable (not pickled). They are best steamed and when cooked
thoroughly, the skin just slides off, when the roots can be sliced and served
straight or in a variety of ways. Next year, I hope to grow some of the more
unusual varieties (as well as Boltardy which is a superb, reliable variety at a
low cost)– just for interest!
Beetroot Soup ( or Borsch, Borscht - even Barscht)
There
are many recipes, some more complicated than others – do Google for recipes,
but choose one that is simple and quick to make:- try this one:
1
lb/ ½ kiko beetroot ( 500 gms)
1 onion
– finely chopped
1
leek – finely chopped
1 stick celery – finely chopped
1
large carrot – finely chopped
1
large potato – diced or finely chopped
1
Tblsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
2/3
cloves garlic – finely chopped 1 tsp
caraway seeds
1Ltr
vegetable stock ( or enough to cover the veg. in the pan)
Method
1.
Instead of chopping the vegetables, you might
like to put them through a food processor.
2.
In a large pan, gently fry the onion, garlic,
caraway seed and leek without colour in the olive oil.
3.
Add the
vegetables ( potato, beetroot, celery and carrot).
4.
Add the stock , season with salt and pepper and
bring to the boil.
5.
Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring
occasionally for approx. 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the vegetables are
tender.
6.
Pass the soup through a sieve or a liquidiser
and check the seasoning. Add more if necessary.
7.
Reheat, and serve with dollops of cream or
soured cream and chives on top.
Of the more
unusual root vegetables, Salsify and Scorzonora are worth trying. They need to
be cooked before removing the very tough skin which will then easily slough
off. Their flavour is very delicate so don’t drown it with other much stronger
flavours – try with a cheese sauce which is then gratinated – excellent!
Salsify or
Scorzonera with cheese sauce
Scorzonera and salsify are very
similar root vegetables. Both are considered a winter vegetable, best from
November ‘til February. They are deep rooted 25 to 40 cm( 12 inches or
more).The roots are quite delicate, easily broken and will discolour if the
root is broken. They are often called the vegetable oyster as the flavour is
delicate (though not at all fishy!) and it is important to not ‘drown’ the
flavour with stronger ones.
The skin is quite tough and it is
helpful t get rid of this beforehand – scald, steam or lightly boil the roots
for a few minutes, then peel the tough skin from the roots. This should come
off easily but , if not, use a peeler or sharp knife. Apart from cooking, you
can stop the roots from discolouring by sprinkling with acid ( lemon juice or a
mild vinegar – eg tarragon, cider)
When the skins have been removed,
cut the roots into lengths approx. 8 – 10 cm and place in a shallow oven-proof
dish.
Make
a cheese sauce:
30gm margarine ( 1oz) ¼ litre milk (
½ pint ) or veg stock
25 gm ( 1 oz) breadcrumbs- brown
or white Salt and pepper – to taste
30gm plain flour ( 1oz)
60gm ( 30gm ) cheese – cheddar is
good though a more flavoursome one, like Stilton or other blue cheese is
excellent – but don’t overpower the flavour of the vegetable.
Method
1.
Melt
the margarine in a saucepan and add the seasoning and flour.
2.
Cook
gently until the flour is cooked out – do NOT allow it to ‘catch’ or to brown.
3.
Add
the liquid gently – little by little – stirring frequently until all the liquid
has been added.
4.
Bring
to the boil briefly then turn off the heat and add the cheese, allowing it to
melt into the sauce.
5.
Pour
the sauce over the salsify ( scorzonera) and sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the
top. If you wish, some extra grated cheese can be added to the breadcrumbs.
6.
Bake
in a hot oven 180c for 15mins or grill until golden.
7.
Serve
as a starter or side dish. Yummy!
Of course broad beans should have been sown in the
autumn to avoid black fly and to achieve an early crop. I chitted my seeds then
planted into pots as soon as they had sprouted in the autumn which were then
planted out in November. This can be a really good ploy though, last year it was
not great. Of course, the winter was particularly harsh and although I did have
a crop, it was disappointing. I have done much the same this year except that I
have included a spring sowing to cover my options. I covered the autumn sowings
with fleece to protect them from the forecasted very harsh winter which has
not, so far, materialised. It then seemed that slugs were enjoying this
protected environment and were happily noshing on my bean plants. So, I removed
the fleece in time for the early February frosts. While this has knocked the
plants back somewhat, I think they will recover. And, covering my options,
today I have sown more broad beans straight into the ground. My children say
they have no problems with germinating beans from direct sowing so, this year I
will follow their advice!
