penpal
11-24-2005, 02:29 PM
Salsify was Thomas Jefferson’s favorite vegetable!
White Salsify
http://img486.imageshack.us/img486/149/whitesalsify7xv.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Black Salsify
http://img486.imageshack.us/img486/5180/blacksalsify0ww.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Salsify comes in both white (American) and black (European) varieties. You might have a bit of a hard time finding them in your grocery store, but they are in season right now. It is a root vegetable and has approx. 77 calories for a 4 oz. serving.
The white ones are sometimes a bit more gnarly and difficult to peel. The black variety is straighter. It’s best not to attempt to peel salsify before cooking. Here is a simple recipe for salsify: http://www.petesfrootique.com/recipe/salsify_with_parmesan.html. The flavor is better if you leave the skin on during cooking and peel after the salsify has cooled. The flesh will darken almost immediately if you peel it when raw, so if you do peel them first, you’ll need to put the salsify into a bowl of water with a squirt of lemon juice to reduce any discoloration.
I first tried salsify when we lived in Switzerland and loved its delicious, creamy taste. It’s very popular in Europe and you can buy it canned in some European delis here in the States. The canned variety looks a bit like white asparagus stems with the tops cut off. The German name for salsify is Schwarzwurzel (black root). :carrot:
White Salsify
http://img486.imageshack.us/img486/149/whitesalsify7xv.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Black Salsify
http://img486.imageshack.us/img486/5180/blacksalsify0ww.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Salsify comes in both white (American) and black (European) varieties. You might have a bit of a hard time finding them in your grocery store, but they are in season right now. It is a root vegetable and has approx. 77 calories for a 4 oz. serving.
The white ones are sometimes a bit more gnarly and difficult to peel. The black variety is straighter. It’s best not to attempt to peel salsify before cooking. Here is a simple recipe for salsify: http://www.petesfrootique.com/recipe/salsify_with_parmesan.html. The flavor is better if you leave the skin on during cooking and peel after the salsify has cooled. The flesh will darken almost immediately if you peel it when raw, so if you do peel them first, you’ll need to put the salsify into a bowl of water with a squirt of lemon juice to reduce any discoloration.
I first tried salsify when we lived in Switzerland and loved its delicious, creamy taste. It’s very popular in Europe and you can buy it canned in some European delis here in the States. The canned variety looks a bit like white asparagus stems with the tops cut off. The German name for salsify is Schwarzwurzel (black root). :carrot: