Now in season, homegrown British roots such as swedes, parsnips, beets and celeriac are lamentably undervalued. Even in the height of lockdown, when sales of pulses rocketed, they remained unloved and overlooked. But they should not be dismissed, especially when supply chains are fragile and shortages likely.
They might not win many beauty pageants, but these subterranean beauties are diamonds in the rough. If you treat them with a little love and care, roots and tubers are dependable and rewarding — full of sweet, deep and surprising flavours that will see you through a lean winter.
They are versatile too. For example, carrots, beetroots and turnips do very well thinly shaved and quick-pickled with white wine vinegar plus a few aromatics such as black peppercorns, cinnamon and cloves. Mellow sweet potatoes, Jerusalem artichokes, swedes and parsnips can be boiled and mashed into silken purées with generous amounts of cream and the addition of something feisty such as fresh ginger or turmeric or fragrant spices like cardamom or nutmeg.
For me, it’s celeriac — warty, strange and impenetrable — that offers the most promise. Hack away the brutish exterior with a knife and chop it into fine matchsticks before folding in horseradish and mayonnaise for a punchy remoulade. Or even sexier, roast it whole, slice thickly and pan-fry like a steak before serving with a Café de Paris sauce like Yotam Ottolenghi in his new book Flavour.
Root vegetables may look like Plain Janes, but the way they’re cooked doesn’t have to be dowdy. This savoury cake gives them a sexy makeover and a moment to shine. Roasting them teases out their natural sugars so that they caramelise beautifully on top of the cake. The gremolata, which is full of delectable things such as preserved lemon and pul biber, should be doled out liberally to bring lightness to the earthy roots and cut through the richness of the cheesy cake.
Root vegetable and chestnut cake with preserved lemon gremolata
Serve with a little salad as a light lunch or supper or with a poached or fried egg for breakfast.
Serves six
For the preserved lemon gremolata
October 22, 2020 at 05:10PM
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Root vegetable and chestnut cake — a Ravinder Bhogal recipe - Financial Times
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Vegetable
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