Saratoga Farmers' Market

root vegetables

Stems add beauty and flavor to summer roots

By

By Himanee Gupta-Carlson

Carrots, turnips, and beets. These are the everyday root vegetables at the Saratoga Farmers’ Market that we eat year-round. However, at this time of year, as summer harvests hit their peak, they shine. They come to market fresh from our area’s farm fields, often with their stems attached. These stems are not only pretty to look at but are edible, too.

Farmers harvest root vegetables by pulling them from the stem. These stems add nutrition and flavor to summer meals, not to mention value to your market purchases. The leafy greens of beets, turnips, and carrots are all sources of vitamin A, vitamin C, and fiber. Here are a few tips for getting started:

Otrembiak Farm, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

● Carrot tops. Clip off the green feathery tops. Wash them well and rinse them a couple of times to remove excess dirt. Select the greenest and most tender tips of the bunch and add them to soups, stocks, or to vegetables you might be roasting or braising for the night’s meal. They taste somewhat like parsley but add a distinct carrot-y flavor.

Photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

● Turnip greens. The leafy greens that top Hakurei and other white summer turnips can make a pleasantly spiced appetizer when cooked by themselves. After removing the greens, wash them well and discard any yellowed or wilted leaves. To cook, chop the greens finely, and heat up a skillet. Add a pinch of salt, pepper, freshly chopped garlic, fennel seed, coriander, cumin and/or fenugreek. Toast the spices for a minute or so, then add the turnip greens. Toss them quickly in the hot pan with tongs or two wooden spoons so that they are mixed into the spices. Once the greens have wilted, serve them with a squeeze of lemon and your favorite beverage.

Owl Wood Farm, photo courtesy of Pattie Garrett

● Beet greens. These leaves along with their ruby-red stems have a rich flavor that is sometimes even more intense than the beets. After a good wash to remove grit, the younger leaves are delicious steamed or chopped finely for salads. Save the older leaves for stir-fries or saute them with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.

Other stems also can yield delicious dishes. Try, for instance, adding the stems of basil, parsley, or cilantro to soups or to stocks. Or save them and use in pesto.

Turnips and Potatoes with Bacon

By

courtesy of Bon Appetit magazine

*denotes Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

Serves 6

Ingredients:

¼ cup water

1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 Tablespoon sugar

8 ounces bacon* slices, cut into 1 inch pieces

1 medium onion*, thinly sliced

4 large garlic* cloves, peeled, crushed

1 pound turnips*, peeled, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 pound potatoes*, peeled, cut into 1 inch chunks

1 teaspoon kosher salt 

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley*

Instructions:

Mix ¼ cup water, vinegar, and sugar in a small bowl. Sauté bacon in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until fat is rendered, 5 minutes. Drain most of the bacon fat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is golden about 5 minutes. Add turnips and potatoes. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until vegetables are starting to become tender, stirring and turning the vegetables occasionally for about 15 minutes. ( you may need to add some olive oil or butter if starting to stick) Push the vegetables to 1 side of skillet. Pour vinegar mixture into cleared space. Toss vegetables with vinegar mixture. Spread vegetables in even layer in skillet. Cook until golden and slightly crisp on bottom, about 5 minutes. Continue to turn and spread and cook vegetables until tender, golden and crisp around edges, 7 to 8 minutes longer. Season with pepper. Transfer to serving bowl and sprinkle on parsley. 

Root Vegetables with Herb Biscuits

By

Adapted from recipe by Local Milk, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

*Ingredients available at the farmers’ market

  • 2 cups fennel*, ½ inch pieces
  • 2 cups parsnips*, ½ inch pieces
  • 2 cups celery root* (celeriac) ½ inch pieces
  • 2 cups carrots*, ½ inch pieces
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup shallot*, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic*, minced
  • 1½ cup celery, diced

Sauce:

  • 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter*
  • 1 cup flour
  • 4 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup grated Gruyere cheese*
  • 1½ teaspoons sugar
  • juice of half a lemon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Biscuit:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 Tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon minced fresh rosemary*
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme*
  • 4 Tablespoon cold unsalted butter*, diced
  • 1 cup buttermilk*

 

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Steam fennel, parsnips, celery root, carrots until just tender.
  2. Heat olive oil in skillet until shimmering. Saute the shallots, garlic until fragrant and translucent. Add celery and cook until tender. In a large bowl, toss with the steamed vegetables.
  3. Sauce:
  4. Melt butter in a dutch oven. Whisk in a cup of flour. Cook to thicken (roux). Slowly whisk in vegetable stock. Add cheese, sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg, cayenne pepper. Whisk to melt the cheese completely. Simmer while whisking until very thick. Remove from heat.
  5. Stir vegetables into the sauce. Stir occasionally.
  6. Biscuit:
  7. In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, rosemary, thyme, and cheese. Cut in butter with pastry cutter until pieces are smaller than peas. Using a folk, stir in buttermilk to just combine.
  8. Drop the biscuit batter on top of the vegetable sauce to cover. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown, bubbling, and topping is cooked through.