Root Cause: 7 New Ideas For Root Vegetables

Once upon a time, not that long ago, most Americans didn’t care all that much about root vegetables. People ate carrots and potatoes (not technically a root, I know), and that was kind of it. Turnips, celery root, beets, rutabaga; they were mostly ignored or dismissed. That’s not the case anymore. Vegetables of all types (even fringe ones) are much more celebrated than they used to be, and eating seasonally and locally, which requires consuming whatever it is that’s grown around you, is now “a thing.”

Still, even if we’re cooking and eating a lot more root vegetables than we used to, that doesn’t mean we don’t get bored, or sometimes can’t for the life of us figure out something reasonably exciting to do with them. This is particularly relevant for those of us who live in places with real winter (snow, cold, etc.) and like to shop at farmers markets, where root vegetables, squash, potatoes and other hearty produce are basically the only game in town until spring.

New (or new-ish) ideas can go a long way with root vegetables, since they’re largely interchangeable. In that spirit, here are seven recipes that I really like, and that will hopefully expand your root repertoire into uncharted, or at least less common, territory. (Yes, I know squash and sweet potatoes aren’t root vegetables, but they’ll be around for the next few months, so I included them here, too). Will these seven dishes stave off boredom for the entire winter? Probably not, but they’re a good start. Have a wonderful weekend.

—Mark