YumSugar

'Tis the Season to Dig Into Root Vegetables

YumSugar — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 03:30:31 PST

We may be months and months away from the glorious Summer fruits and vegetables we all love, but we should make the most out of root vegetable season. I'm a huge fan of nutrient and vitamin-rich vegetables like beets, carrots, and rutabagas, so all of these recipes sound amazing to me. Even in the dead of Winter there is so much flavor to celebrate! We've included some classic recipes (like glazed carrots) and some unusual ways to highlight your roots (like roasted root vegetable pasta or chocolate beet cake).

Carbonara Potato Skins	Mashed Rutabagas	Roasted Root Vegetable Pasta
Jicama Coleslaw	Glazed Carrots	Chocolate Beet Cake

Beyond Mashed Potatoes: 10 Ways With Spuds

Susannah Chen — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 04:04:06 PST

Potatoes are a starch available year-round, but with rutabagas, turnips, parsnips, and yams taking root, there's no better time than now to enjoy the good old spud as well. How should you use them? Well, if you had more than enough mashed potatoes over Thanksgiving, try eating potatoes a different way. Here are a bunch of our favorite ideas.

Got Rutabagas? Mash 'Em!

YumSugar — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 08:50:14 PST

Every year mashed rutabagas appear on our Thanksgiving table. When I was younger, I wouldn't touch them because I didn't know what they were. But now that I'm older and my palate's matured, I'm a huge fan. Also, the word "rutabaga" is just too fun to say! As it turns out, a rutabaga, known in Europe as a "swede," is a cross between a turnip and a wild cabbage. It's a sweet vegetable with definite hints of cabbage and turnip in its flavor profile. There are many ways to prepare this root, but mashing them is a tradition in my family. Read on for a simple recipe for mashed rutabagas.

In Season: Beets

Susannah Chen — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:59:46 PDT

I must admit I'd been seriously dismayed to see peaches and watermelons being replaced by Fall fruits at the farmers market, but once a myriad of different beets caught my eye, the season managed to redeem itself. From the crimson-red garden beet to the pink-and-white striped Chioggia, these root vegetables come in a range of stunning, jewel-toned hues.They add a punch of color - and a sweet, mildly buttery flavor when cooked - to just about any course. While they're available in California almost year-round, October, it seems, is the time of year when they taste most tender. To find out how to select, store, and enjoy these versatile veggies, read more.

In Season: Beets

Susannah Chen — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 11:33:55 PDT

When the colors of Autumn beg us to return to the golden hues of root vegetables, the first in line to blossom is the beet. From the crimson-red sugar beet to the pink-and-white striped Chioggia, these root vegetables come in a range of stunning, jewel-toned hues. They add a punch of color - and a sweet, mildly buttery flavor when cooked - to just about any course and are at their most tender during the Fall months, peaking in October. To find out how to select, store, and enjoy these versatile veggies, keep reading.

Can You Identify Root Vegetables?

Susannah Chen — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:50:51 PST

As California chef Annie Somerville put it, some living forces actually flourish during frosty weather. Case in point: easy-to-prepare root vegetables are incredibly fresh right now.

These tubers are typically firm to the touch, making them perfect candidates for soups, stews, and long braises.

But at times, it can be hard to set them all straight. Can you ID your Winter vegetables? Our quiz is the only way to find out. I'm rooting for you!

Take the Quiz

Root Vegetables Two Ways - Sweet and Savory

Susannah Chen — Wed, 15 Dec 2010 03:30:38 PST

Root vegetables have taken, well, root for the time being - at least until days go back to being longer and sunnier. Since these healthy vegetables will be abound all Winter, why not get acquainted with cooking them in different ways?

Although they're delicious in lasagna, gratins, and hashes, the most straightforward preparation is to roast them (carrots, parsnips, rutabagas, potatoes, or any other related roots) and then serve them with light seasonings.

For an even more exciting assortment of flavors, experiment by offering your root vegetable medley two ways - one sweetened with an apple cider and sugar glaze, and the other made savory with the help of smoked wood chips. Decide which dish you like more when you keep on reading.

This Year, Let Sweet Potatoes Speak For Themselves

Susannah Chen — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 16:15:14 PST

For the best Thanksgiving ever, I'm trying a new strategy and letting all of Thanksgiving's star ingredients shine on their own. There won't be any green beans shrouded in mushroom cream or turkey overpowered by Cajun spices. Instead of having a marshmallow-topped sweet potato casserole, I'm highlighting the tubers with honey and seasoning to let their true flavor take over.

I could only locate the thin, yellow-skinned sweet potato variety, although any sweet potato or yam works. Roast them until they're crunchy and caramelized with a lovely sweet-savory flavor. Then you can eat them with virtually anything: a poached egg and harissa for breakfast, curried cauliflower for lunch, and, of course, turkey. Get the easy recipe when you read more.

Embrace the Season With Navarin of Lamb

YumSugar — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 15:00:57 PDT

For Easter this year, I decided that rather than serving my usual glazed ham, I'd opt for another meat that's emblematic of the season: lamb. This Sunday, I'll be making navarin d'agneau printanier, a classic French stew of young lamb with springtime vegetables. With its colorful turned vegetables floating in light broth, and the use of lamb shoulder, fresh peas, and sprigs of chervil, this classic is like Spring comfort in a bowl. For a stunning and seasonal dish that's sure to impress guests, read more.

How to Tourné Vegetables

YumSugar — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 05:50:03 PDT

I've always been enamored with French technique. Why? Because French technique is to cooking as ballet is to dance: classical, and foundational for everything else in the Western culinary world. Unfortunately, I don't know nearly as much about classical French sauces and knife skills as I wish I did. So, I decided to put myself up to the task of tournéeing, or turning, vegetables into even, elegant elliptical shapes for an aesthetically appealing lamb stew. The result was gorgeous, but I'm quite sure I'll never do it again. It took a ton of work and practice to turn a vegetable just right! But in case you're curious, read on to learn the art of tournéeing a vegetable.