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Posted at 11:40AM, 06 November 2008 by Mary Cadogan - Food writer

Shopping in the market this morning, it occurred to me that winter veg are an ugly crew. Gnarled old celeriac, thick-skinned parsnips and tough looking turnips do not have the come-and-buy-me appeal of, say, a pile of polished red peppers, or a beautifully tied bunch of asparagus.

But maybe in these cash-strapped times we should look again at these taken-for-granted veggies and give them more credit for the wonderfully rich, earthy flavours they give to warming winter dishes, as well as the smaller hole they make in our pockets.

Coarsely grated celeriac tossed in some mustardy mayonnaise makes a fab winter salad to have with ham or any charcuterie. And have you ever tried shredding the much maligned Brussels sprout? Mix it with some grated carrot, a handful of chopped nuts and apple and moisten with a little honey and mustard dressing - it's sweet, crunchy, truly yummy and packed with vitamins.

The thing about Brussels is they don't much like water

The thing about Brussels is that they don't much like water. Steam them, stir fry them or cook them in just a small amount of water so they don't get waterlogged and you'll be rewarded with sweet tasting vegetables with no nasty kitchen smells.

Parsnips make great oven chips. Simply cut into sticks, parboil for a few minutes, then toss in a little olive oil and cook in a hot oven for half an hour. The same treatment works with carrots or celeriac.

Mash is an essential winter staple. Try it half-and-half with any of the ugly brigade, especially the oft overlooked swede. I hated swede as a child, but these days, when the weather turns spiteful, it's in my top ten of comfort foods. My latest trick is to fold a whisked egg white into my mash and bake it with a sprinkling of cheese for a lovely puffy finish.

I'm sure you've got some great ideas for cooking with winter veggies, so do share.

Comments

Tarte Normande

6 November 2008, 5:24PM
Tarte Normande

Living here in Normandy, Celeriac is a staple veg... celery stalks are quite difficult to get hold of and not always the most appetizing! Parsnips are grown for animals and not for humans... I go to the market in the winter every 2 weeks to buy a sack of parsnips for my 2 pet kune kune pigs - they are normally the size you would consider entering into a 'giant' vegetable competition... I have stolen one from the pig sack tried cooking it... I won't be doing that again, so woody... horrible. The point of my comment - I have learnt to use celeriac in place of celery and parsnips... The uses are limitless, from celeriac mash (spuds & celeriac), celeriac puree, roasted celeriac soup (with 4/5 cloves of garlic with a big spoon of creme fraiche swirled in just before serving), roasted celeriac with other root veg, celeriac grated onto a mixed salad... I substitute it for celery and now prefer it... not so good in a Wardolf salad though - you don't get the same crunch!

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Mary Cadogan

6 November 2008, 5:51PM
Mary Cadogan

I reckon if you can get hold of some smaller parsnips you'd be converted. The French are not used to cooking parsnips, they consider them animal food but I have introduced some of my French friends to them and the're hooked now. Roasted parsnips tossed in honey and mustard seeds are treat.

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Aelish

6 November 2008, 7:45PM
Aelish

I agree with Mary, Tarte Normande...you are missing out! Parsnips became a favorite of mine on my many trips to Ireland. I love to roast them with a little honey, salt, garlic and a bit of lemon juice. They are a wonderful addition to roasted meats. Do try them again! I also use them to make a Parsnip Cake - similar to carrot cake. Visit my website to find the recipe (link is in my profile).

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erinehm

10 November 2008, 1:55PM
erinehm

I really hated brussel sprouts until I tried shredding them and frying them with some pancetta and almond slivers right at the end. It's like a different vegetable entirely. Parsnips roasted under pork chops smothered with hoeny and whole grain mustard are great - so sweet.

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Belit

10 November 2008, 5:27PM
Belit

My favorite winter veg dish is roasted root veg. I like a mix of swede, carrots, parsnip, celeriac, sweet potato, regular potato, onion wedges and garlic cloves, tossed with a bunch of fresh or a couple spoonfuls of dried thyme, freshly ground black pepper, sea salt, and a liberal amount of olive oil. Roast at medium temp for almost an hour. Otherwise I like mash of rot veg too. A blend of potato-celeriac, potato-cauliflower (not really winter, I know), and potato-swede-potato. Last idea goes great with some serious bangers and looks so cheerful and bright.

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Lollipop

12 November 2008, 7:03PM
Lollipop

I love root vegetables. A favourite in our house is vegetable crumble! We like parsnips, swede, carrots and/or butternut squash mixed with fried onions, cheese sauce and nut crumble topping! Real comfort food and great with tomato ketchup!

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Moosie Moo

16 November 2008, 4:04PM
Moosie Moo

Roasted winter veg has got to be my ultimate comfort food. Parsnips, butternut squash, sweet potato, onions, carrots & swede - lovely just cooked in olive oil with some nice fresh or dried herbs. One of the childrens favourite is mashed swede mixed with 1 tbsp of the cooking water & 2 tbsp (max) of half fat creme fraiche. Goes well with any roast.

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