Back to Your Roots

Root vegetables are at the core of many comfort foods; dishes we crave during the long, cold winter months. Even before modern refrigeration, roots were easy to keep without extensive processing during the harvest season. Unlike late summer harvest produce such as tomatoes, beans, corn and fruits that need canning, drying or pickling, roots only need to be picked, allowed to dry and then stored in a root cellar. 

This gallery shows photos of root vegetables both in their natural state and prepared into simple dishes. Most recipes are forgiving and don't require exact measurements.

This post is a follow-up to my January 2022 column in the American Israelite.

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Roasted Root Vegetables with Roasted Garlic Aioli

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Simple Fennel Salad

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Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Whether bright orange or deep purple like these, mashed sweet potatoes are a colorful addition to any plate. Like regular potatoes, all they need is a little something mashed in - butter, mayonnaise or heavy coconut cream + salt & pepper. If you want to enhance the sweetness, add a sprinkle of cinnamon or a splash of maple syrup.

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Indian Carrot Dessert - Gajar Halwa

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Collection of organic roots (+broccoli) from the farm. Baby turnips, radishes, beets, salad onions & garlic scapes

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Baby Turnips fresh from the farm

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Israeli Pickled Vegetables

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Mashed Potatoes with Borscht

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The little pan-fried meatloaf in this picture is called Kotletin (coat-let-in). It's an Eastern European dish I grew up eating - in my home this was the ultimate comfort food. 
It was always served with richly caramelized onions and mashed potatoes topped with bright pink borscht from a jar that my mom mixed with a raw egg. I don't know why.
I made my own borscht and it came out much darker. I missed the pink.

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Roasted Potato Wedges with Rosemary

Potatoes love rosemary like peanut butter loves jelly. Use Russet or Idaho potatoes.

1. Scrub potatoes to remove any loose dirt; slice into wedges.
2. Toss with extra virgin olive oil, salt & pepper and chopped fresh rosemary.
3. Lay in a single layer, on their flat sides, on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. Roast at 450 degrees for 12 to 18 minutes or even a little longer, turning once.

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Hasselback Potatoes

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Sweet & Sour Celeriac Carrots

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Twice Baked Potatoes

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Roasted Potato Chips

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Horseradish infused vodka for Passover - or any time you need a spicy shot

Carrot & Radish Salad

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Beet & Horseradish-tini

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Hearty Sweet Potato Salad

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Stunning Watermelon Radish with Hawaiian Black Sea Salt

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Garlic Scapes

The curly tops from garlic bulbs are available only when garlic is freshly picked. Chop them into salads, mince them into a vinaigrette or add them to Israeli Pickled Vegetables.

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Simple Beet Salad

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This beautiful salad can be laid out like this or cut into wedges and tossed. It can also be monochromatic - Golden Beets + oranges + white onions OR Red Beets + Blood Oranges + Red Onions OR multi-colored by mixing and matching .
Add a squeeze of fresh lime juice + a splash of really good extra virgin olive oil + coarse salt & pepper.

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