“Rooting” for the Holidays

The holidays, when the focus is on food more so than any other time of year, are a perfect time to enjoy the season’s bounty of root vegetables. Sweet potatoes, leeks and carrots are normally part of traditional holiday fare, but this year, consider adorning your table with daikon radish, Jerusalem artichoke, and parsnips! They’re delicious, colorful, and beautifully accompany your favorite meat and gravy.

We tend to make use of the same root vegetables in our cooking—potatoes, carrots, leeks—but your local supermarket carries dozens of varieties that can be substituted into your favorite holiday recipes:

Daikon

Also known as the Chinese radish, daikon literally means “large root.” This pungent root vegetable looks like a large carrot but is usually white (although some are yellow or black).

Popular in Asia, daikon radishes are also grown in the U.S. and are available year round. In Japan they’re served either pickled, preserved, or fried in a tempura batter and are popular in sushi bars.

Half a cup of raw daikon provides only 12 calories and is a good source of vitamin C. In Chinese medicine it’s used to treat respiratory conditions like bronchitis and dry cough.

Eat Daikon radishes raw, sautéed in oil, sauce or broth. Add them to salads, relishes, or stir-fries. They can also be stuffed or baked.

When selecting a daikon radish, make sure that the roots are free of bruises and that they are firm to the touch. At home, store them in a plastic container or bag in your refrigerator to keep the roots moist.

Horseradish

When you think of the holidays, 'horseradish' probably doesn't immediately come to mind, but this tangy, funny-looking root vegetable can enliven many of our traditional holiday recipes. Added to dips, fish, roast beef, pork, potatoes, coleslaw... a little horseradish goes a long way and blends beautifully with other flavors.

Part of the Brassica family (which also includes broccoli and cabbage), horseradish is popular around the world. In the U.S., prepared or creamy horseradish sauce is often found on roast beef sandwiches (think Arby’s). It has traditionally been used in Passover Seders and is a regular condiment for meats all over Europe. What we know as wasabi in the west is actually horseradish dyed green.

“Prepared horseradish” refers to the grated root prepared with vinegar. When cut or grated, the vegetable’s enzymes break down sinigrin (a glucosinolate) to produce allyl isothiocyanate. If it isn’t immediately used or mixed with vinegar, the root darkens becomes unpleasantly bitter.

With only 6 calories per tablespoon, horseradish is chock full of vitamin C (about 80 mg per 100 g of raw horseradish), B vitamins, potassium, iron, and calcium. Horseradish has been used for centuries to cure various ailments. Medieval folks regarded it as an aphrodisiac and thought it to be the cure for everything from urinary tract infections (it’s a well-known diuretic) to infections (thanks to its antibiotic properties).

Jerusalem Artichoke

Also known by peculiar names like the sunchoke, sunroot, earth apple or topinambur, Jerusalem artichoke is not an artichoke (and doesn’t look anything like a regular artichoke), nor does it originate in Jerusalem. In fact, it’s a species of sunflower native to the United States.

Providing 114 calories and a whopping 650 mg potassium per cup, the edible tuber is also rich in iron, fiber, some B vitamins, phosphorus and copper.

Jerusalem artichokes can be eaten raw or, like potatoes, can be baked, boiled, steamed, fried, or stewed. They cook faster than potatoes, however, and can become mushy quite quickly. Remove from heat as soon as soon as they soften.

Serve Jerusalem artichoke with almost any meat or fish (even lobster!) and partner with onions, other root vegetables and flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Kohlrabi

Another member of the Brassica family, this relative of cabbage grows almost anywhere.

There are two types of kohlrabi – green and purple. The flesh of the bulb is juicy, crisp and captivatingly sweet.

When buying kohlrabi, choose a firm root with deep green leaves. Store refrigerated and wrapped in plastic for up to four days. Larger bulbs should be peeled and washed just before using.

The root vegetable can be eaten raw as well as cooked. Sliced, quartered, cubed, or julienned, and steamed, stir-fried, sautéed, or boiled – kohlrabi’s versatility can enhance a variety of your favorite holiday recipes. Serve raw in salads, as a relish, in a slaw, or as with crudités served with dip. Try mashed kohlrabi in place of mashed potatoes. Add it to stew or cooked with other root vegetables.

A cup of raw kohlrabi provides only 36 calories, 5 grams of fiber and is a rich source of vitamin C and potassium.

Parsnips

Roasted parsnip is considered an essential part of Christmas dinner, especially in the U.K.

Closely related to the carrot (and often used as a substitute), the parsnip is richer in potassium (600 mg per 100 grams) and fiber.

The root veggie can be eaten raw, or boiled, roasted or added to casseroles, soups and stews. Peel and remove the core in larger parsnips (which tends to be bitter) before using. Pair them with nutmeg, parsley, dill, or roasted garlic.

Rutabaga

Another member of the Brassica family, this cruciferous root veggie originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip.

An important source of nutrients in Scandinavia before the introduction of potatoes, rutabaga remains a popular ingredient in their cuisine and is used in dishes that call for any root vegetable. It’s roasted and served with meat, added to soups for flavor, baked, boiled, or eaten raw and thinly julienned as a side dish or in a salad.

Rutabaga is the major ingredient in the ever popular Christmas dish, Swede casserole ("lanttulaatikko").

A popular northern European dish is rutabaga cooked with potatoes and carrots and mashed with butter, cream, or milk to create a ‘root mash.’ In Canada, the root vegetable is added as a filler to mincemeat and may be added to fruitcake.

A cup provides only 50 calories, 3.5 grams of fiber, and is an excellent source of potassium. Mash it with potatoes, stir-fry it with onions, or roast it with other root vegetables. Refrigerate rutabagas in a plastic bag for up to 3 weeks. They partner well with nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and mace.

If you’re shy about experimenting with root vegetables, simply toss one or two with potatoes, olive oil, sea salt and black pepper, and bake until tender.

Here are some great recipes using root vegetables to try at your next holiday feast:

• Root Vegetable Salad

• Zesty Carrots

• Roasted Root Vegetables