Eat the tops and the roots to gain the best health benefit. Photo Credit: Viktors Kozers

Do you eat root vegetables?  If not, you are missing out on one of the tastiest items the fall and winter seasons have to offer.  Versatile, and bursting with flavor and color, root vegetables pack a nutrient-dense punch—they are loaded with antioxidants, Vitamin C, Vitamin B, Vitamin A, and iron, all which help to cleanse your system as well as regulate blood sugar and your digestive system.

If you are a doubter, though, one who grew up thinking that root vegetables are “too earthy” or bitter, I encourage you to take a chance on these dirty, ugly edibles and add them to a meal.  How you cook them doesn’t really matter.  Try carrots, jicama, beets, or radishes raw, sliced thin and added to a salad.  Or mash some celery root with potatoes for a twist on a favorite classic.  If flavor and texture entice you, then you could try roasting a variety of root vegetables with some olive oil and spices.  Or eat them sautéed, grilled, stewed, or pickled.  The possibilities are nearly endless, and each different cooking method garners a different taste from the root.

Chefs across the country use these “versatile veggies…in a variety of preparations,” according to an article in Nation’s Restaurant News.  Galen Zamarra, executive chef and co-owner of Almanac in New York City, prepared a pear and parsnip foam and served it with a roasted oyster dish.  Brad Spence, of Amis and Lo Spiedo in Philadelphia, likes to “stay out of the way of ingredients,” and chunks up roasted root vegetables, tosses them in almond pesto, and serves them with Greek yogurt.  And Zach Meloy, executive chef and co-owner of Better Half in Atlanta is taking a stab at fermenting root vegetables.  My favorite idea by far, though, comes from chef Cameron Thompson of the Farm Burger chain—he grates turnips and creates turnip tots, deep fried with ginger aioli.  Sounds delicious to me!

Choose roots that are firm and free of gouges. Photo Credit: Alistair Williamson

However you decide to prepare your root vegetables, make sure to select the firmest you can find and that they are free from gashes and bruises.  If you plan to use the greens as well, choose those whose stems are firm and bright.  Store them in a cool, dark, humid room if you can; but if you must refrigerate, store them in a paper bag in the crisper to keep them from becoming soft too quickly.

So what do you think?  Will you give root vegetables a try this fall?  And if you already are in love with them, which vegetables are your favorite, and what is your preferred method of preparation?

The post The Root of all that is Good appeared first on Houston's Blog.