
Here's a recipe to help you beat those winter vegetable blahs. Salsify has the texture of a potato with a haunting flavor reminiscent of artichokes or white asparagus. Some say that this thin root tastes like an oyster, thus it's also called the oyster plant. Be aware that the white flesh can discolor easily, so after peeling be sure to place it in acidulated water.
In New York, we've seen salsify at the Paffenroth Farms stand of the Union Square Greenmarket, Whole Foods, and Dean & Deluca. In a pinch, substitute Jerusalem artichokes.
You can see a little more about salsify (and how to pronounce it!) here: Word of Mouth: Salsify.
Buttery Salsify Puree with Horseradish
serves 2 to 4
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 pounds black or white salsify
1 small clove garlic
2 1/2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup milk
1/2 tablespoon horseradish, or to taste
salt, to taste
Fill a large bowl with cold water, and add the lemon juice to create an acidulated bath. Peel the salsify, and cut it into 2 inch lengths, slipping the pieces into the bath as you work.
Add the drained salsify and the clove of garlic to a saucepan of cool water, and bring to a boil. Cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Drain, and puree with remaining ingredients. Garnish with parsley, or other mild herbs. If you like, this recipe can easily become a soup by increasing the amount of milk until the desired texture is reached.
This is by Nina, who is up for one of our new writer positions. Welcome Nina!
Ooh, how exciting! I've never used salsify, but this recipe makes me want to try it, especially for the use of horseradish: at this point in winter, I still like my tubers, but I need them jazzed up a bit.
Hope to see more of your recipes around the site!
view rubychard's profile
I've never cooked with salsify and this recipe, with its short ingredients list, makes me want to give it a go.
view wig3000's profile
That photo looks delish. Now let's see how many produce people I can stump when I ask for salsify.
view SJO's profile
Can anyone say once and for all how salsify is meant to be pronounced? Apparently it is very much NOT pronounced "salsa-fye"...
view mh330's profile
ha ha! I was going to ask the same thing as mh330! :) is it "salsa-Fee?"
view Eliza's profile
I've always heard it pronouced "salsa -fee"
but I thought the other was also correct. Where did you hear that was categorically wrong?
Yet another one to add to the "I say potato, you say potato" song!
view NinaC's profile