Root For Vegetables

With the season changing, our focus for the Everett Farmers' Market on Sunday was root and tuber vegetables. Did you know that all root and tuber vegetables provide fiber, while some are also sources of vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, and potassium? Fiber is important for our digestive health and the other vitamins and minerals make important contributions to our health as well. Taking a simple look around the market, many roots including carrots, beets, and onions were ready for visitors to pick up from vendors around us for great nutrition and fun in the kitchen. Visitors to our booth spun our vegetable wheel to identify sweet potatoes, turnips, beets, ginger root, onions, parsnips, radish, and sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke). Some visitors identified the sweet potatoes as yams and the turnips as rutabagas. Both of these vegetable pairs are easy to confuse. We had a great time discussing the difference between these two roots and sharing the recipes below. 

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What is the difference between a sweet potato and a yam?
Sweet potatoes are part of the morning glory family. This means that sweet potatoes are not actually potatoes at all and are part of a different family that grows with beautiful vines and flowers. While sweet potatoes are edible roots, yams are large tubers that are starchier and are more similar in texture and taste to russet potatoes. It is hard to find true yams in the U.S. because these tubers are grown in parts of the world with specific climates such as the Caribbean and Africa among others. Keep in mind that many varieties of sweet potatoes are available in our country, ranging from the typical orange flesh varieties to white flesh varieties. 

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What is the difference between a rutabaga and a turnip?
It is hard to visually distinguish the difference, but rutabagas have a yellower flesh and turnips have a whiter flesh. This color difference explains why rutabagas are a source of vitamin A and turnips are not. The taste and texture of these two roots are similar and for sweeter taste, choose smaller rutabagas (4 inches in diameter) and turnips (2-3 inches in diameter). 

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Some market visitors were also unfamiliar with a sunchoke. This tuber is similar in taste and texture to the artichoke that most of us recognize, but it is actually a variety of sunflower. Keep in mind that it provides an amount of inulin that can cause gastrointestinal discomfort in large amounts. Try sunchoke in small amounts to enjoy the great flavor with comfort. It is in season starting in October, according the Washington seasonality chart.  For more information on different root and tuber vegetables visit Berkley Wellness.

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The following recipes incorporate root vegetables with simple and tasty combinations whether you are cooking dinner after work or preparing meals on the weekend for busy weekdays.

Beet, Radish, Cucumber Salad
with Basil Pesto Vinaigrette
Recipe from Little Broken
Serves 4-6
 
3-4 medium beets (trimmed , not peeled)
8-10 radishes (julienned)
1/2 seedless cucumber (julienned)
Salt and pepper to taste
 
Place trimmed beets in medium saucepan, cover with water and cook over medium/low heat until tender, about 20 minutes. Cool completely. Peel beets and cut into matchsticks. Toss beets, radishes, and cucumber with basil vinaigrette (below). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
 
1/4 cup basil pesto - store bought or homemade
1TBS finely chopped walnuts
1 TBS finely chopped almonds
1 TBS lemon juice
1 TBS olive oil
 
Whisk all ingredients together as  dressing for salad (above).

Roasted Root Vegetables
Serves 4-5
 
5 large carrots (1 inch pieces); try carrots in various colors!
2 large sweet potatoes (1 inched pieces)
2 medium sized beets (1 inch pieces)
3 medium sized rutabagas (1 inch pieces)
4 cloves garlic (sliced)
1.5 TBS fresh chopped rosemary
0.5 TBS fresh chopped thyme
3 TBS olive oil to coat

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Before cubing, wash and scrub the root veggies well so you don't have to peel them. In a large rimmed sheet pan combine the vegetables. Add the garlic, rosemary, and thyme. Drizzle olive oil to coat vegetables and toss well to coat. Space the vegetables in single layer with plenty of room; consider using a second baking sheet if needed so that veggies are not touching each other. We want them to roast (lots of air circulation needed) rather than steam. For the same reason, use a low rimmed sheet versus a higher sided casserole dish. Roast in the oven for 40-45 minutes or until tender. Flip the veggies about every 10-15 minutes to ensure even roasting on all sides. Enjoy hot or cold!

Next time you are at the store or your local market, include root and tuber vegetables for an in-season and tasty meal during the week. We hope you enjoy the season of root and tuber vegetables for great nutrition as the weather changes! Please share your experience with these recipes or reaction to this blog post by tweeting @sounddietitians or posting to our Facebook page.
-Emilyann