Frugal Foodie on a British Pound: Lost in Translation

It dawned on me only recently. For the longest time, I could just not figure out what swede was. Did it refer to the Scandinavian people (I'm sure in some contexts it did)? Perhaps it was shorthand for a posh pudding, like Swedish rolls? And then one day, while helping with a veg stand at market, I commented on the beautiful rutabaga. The what? Ah yes. Rutabaga. Such a distinctly American word (with roots in the Swedish rotabagga), that of course there must be a softer term used across The Pond. Swede is this cabbage relative's preferred name in England, Wales, Australia, and New Zealand, though yellow turnip sometimes wins out. We all could just go by the scientific name, Brassica napus rapifera (a cross between cabbage and turnip).

This (often quite large) root seems prevalent in mashes and roasts. However humble, this veg played a central role in food security in northern reaches of Europe (in fact, there is a whole institute devoted to the rutabaga)! Swede predates potato as a staple in Ireland, Norway, Sweden, and Finland, thought to have originated in Scandanavia and first described in the early 17th century. By the early 19th century, it had also reached North America and was prevalent throughout England. It can grow in rough and cold climates, providing an essential dose of vitamin A and C, as well as important nutritious fodder for livestock.

Considering swede's history characterised by humble origins and economy, I thought that it rightly belonged in a student's budget. It is dense, keeps well, and with roots (haha...) in peasant subsistence, comes pretty cheap. Combined with two of my other winter mainstays - potatoes and pumpkin - rutabaga serves as a satiating light supper or side dish.

Swede Baby Cakes

1 medium rutabaga, grated

2 medium purple potatoes, grated

1 cup winter squash, grate (I used buttercup)

2 tbs arrowroot or flour

1 tsp salt, to taste

1 tsp cumin, to taste

1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1-2 tbs olive oil, for cooking

1. Mix together all ingredients in a bowl. Pressing down, turn bowl sideway and let some liquid drain out.

2. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Drop a piece in; when it starts to sputter the oil is hot enough. Taking about 1/8 of the mixture, form a patty, flattening between your hands. 

3. Place in the skillet and allows to cook for about 5-8 minutes, checking that there is a nice golden color before flipping. Repeat on the other side. Remove once both sides are browned, plate, and serve with applesauce or something lovely like that.

Need more ideas for swede? You can also honey-roast it, mash it with carrots, add chickpeas and casserole it, or even turn it into a curry!

 

Back into the swing of things, check out more healthy bites on Wellness Weekends!

What's Cooking? Bogged Down

As you know, I spent last week in New York. On Wednesday afternoon I stumbled across a farmers market in Union Square. Now I rarely say no to a turn around a farmers market, but little did I know what I would find...fresh cranberries!

Why is this surprising? Well, cranberries, for all they are a holiday favorite, are actually quite particular about where and how they grow. The necessary conditions are found in the northern reaches of the U.S. - primarily Wisconsin, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Washington, and Oregon. Cultivated in bogs and wetlands, cranberries require sandy soils and plenty of fresh water.

Although cranberries don't have quite the history of some of the other produce items I've discussed in the past, they are distinctly North American. Native Americans have utilized the fruit since the mid-16th century, and taught European settlers during the 17th century. The berry had many uses, from fighting scurvy to serving as a dye. I took home the Howe, one of the early varieties dating back to 1843, and cultivated largely in Massachusetts.

Many of the cranberry bogs are upwards of 100 years old, but there are still environmental concerns associated with the crop production. There is concern over loss of wetlands due to cranberry expansion, in addition to water pollution from the use of fertilizers and pesticides in the growing environment. And despite the fact that cranberries are a native wetland plant and will perform some of the filtering and drainage functions of wetland plants, the replacement of native wetlands with a monoculture crop presents serious challenges for proper wetland function. So when choosing your cranberries, make a point to buy organic and if possible, ask your farmer about his/her land and management practices. (mine were brought to the market by Breezy Hill Orchard from fourth generation Willow Cranberries, which practices IPM).

Now, what did I do with my berry-licious find? In celebration of the final days of Hanukkah, I created a twist on a classic dish:

Yeah, the photo is uglier than I had anticipated...

Root Veggie Latkes with Cranberry Sauce
1 rutabaga, grated
1 medium beet, grated
1 large carrot, grated
1/4 onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup flour (can use millet, garbanzo, or rice)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Olive oil for pan

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Form patties and squeeze out any liquid.
2. In a well-oiled skillet, heat patties on medium-high heat, flipping after one side is browned and crispy.
3. Once both sides are golden, place on a paper towel on a plate. Can also place on a cookie sheet and leave in a warm oven. Serve warm.

1 cup fresh cranberries
1 apple, peeled and cubed
1/4 cup water
1 tbs orange zest
15 drops vanilla liquid stevia
1 tbs agave (optional)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

1. Heat apple and water over medium heat until soft. Mash apple. Add cranberries and rest of ingredients.
2. Cook until cranberries start to melt and sauce thickens.
3. Serve warm over latkes!

Grist recently posted another rendition of Cranberry Sauce (and some cultural history) for your reference.

This recipe is included on Wellness Weekend at Diet, Desserts and Dogs. Also, check out this fun savory cranberry recipe on Choosing Raw.

What's Cooking: Rosti!

I love potatoes. Just putting that out there. Roasted with olive oil and salt in the oven. The waxy, golden yukons; the royal hue of purple fleshed taters; the rosy glow of pink spuds. But I can't eat the quantity of potatoes to which I am accustomed. Limited to a single serving of starchy vegetable per day, sweet potatoes or winter squash usually win out over the humble potato. The traditional rosti is essentially a cross between hashbrowns and a potato pancake. But tonight I combined a medley of root vegetables, with sweet potato subbing for regular old potatoes, and created a lovely golden rosti.

This meal was inspired by The Veganopolis Cookbook and would be an excellent brunch dish or dinner side (or main meal, for me). If you can eat them, grated carrot and beets would add color and flavor!

Root Rosti (adapted from Veganopolis cookbook)
1 turnip, grated
1 parsnip, grated (limit food)
1 fingerling sweet potato, grated (limit food)
1 sunchoke, grated
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 tbs oil
salt, dill, and garlic powder to taste

1. Saute onions in half the oil in a skillet, until translucent. Season. Toss with rest of vegetables and oil.
2. Spread into a small, well-oiled pan and bake for about 45 minutes at 400F. Conversely, you can form into patties and pan-fry.

Check out other scrumptious and healthy dishes at Wellness Weekends.

Produce of the Week: Jerusalem Artichoke

Ah, to be in Washington State again! While Washington, DC can be an exciting place for a young, starry-eyed, non-profit worker to live, it is lacking the distinctly Pacific Northwest flavor I crave. One of those flavors I have been craving is the Jerusalem artichoke - AKA sunchoke. This latter name is actually more appropriate, as the root is related to a sunflower and not an artichoke.

Neither an artichoke nor from the Holy Land, the sunchoke is native to the North American Eastern seaboard, where Europeans first encountered them at Cape Cod, MA in 1605. Why these tasty tubers haven't succeeded in becoming a Thanksgiving staple, I just couldn't say. The French seemed particularly taken with the sunchoke, or rather tompinambour. Despite some periods of disfavor (and suspected connection to leprosy), sunchokes served as a source of nourishment and sustenance during war, famine, and exploration (if Lewis and Clark ate it...). Learn more random sunchoke trivia here.

We may not have the colorful bounty of spring and summer right now, but I love the abundance of root veggies. It may not be the most creative of uses, but roasting these beauties in the oven is by far my favorite preparation method.

Agave-Roasted Root Veggies

4 baby beets

4 baby carrots

1/2 large rutabaga

1 small sweet potato

4-6 sunchokes

1/2 onion

1 tbs olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

sprinkle of thyme

a good drizzle of agave

1. Chop vegetables, toss in oil, thyme, and salt.

2. Spread out on a pan and drizzle with agave. Roast at 400F for 20 minutes. Flip and roast for another 20-25 minutes until soft.

3. Enjoy!

If you want to try something new, try out one of these fun recipes:

Jamie Oliver makes a lovely sauteed j-choke and garlic dish.

Sunchoke chips on Bon Appetit!

Serious Eats posted a recipe for turnip, apple, and Jerusalem artichoke soup.

A nice light salad with hazelnuts!

Another soup recipe with carrots and squash ... sub veggie stock.

Veganize this potato and sunchoke puree with olive oil and almond milk.

Produce of the Week: Horseradish!

Yes, it is ugly. But it's good for you!

This is the only time of year I think about horseradish. Such a "bitter herb" doesn't usually make it into my sweet-tooth-influenced culinary adventures. But, it is the first night of Passover tonight, and I am necessarily obliged to think about the root. Apparently, most people think that horseradish is only fit to be used in sauces and cremes. Or, if not, their family came out of Eastern Europe originally and still finds comfort in boiled cabbage and brisket.

Well, once committed to using horseradish, I couldn't very well give it up! Horseradish happens to fall into our favorite family of vegetables - the brassicas - hence its distinctive cabbage-y, turnip-y flavor. While it has graced the fields of people dating back a few thousands of years, it was used mostly for medicinal purposes. It boasts a slew of vitamins and minerals, in addition to diuretic and antibacterial properties; it was commonly used to treat ailments such as sinus congestion, coughs, and urinary tract infections.

In terms of food origins, the Germans are granted responsibility for using horseradish as a condiment on meat and fish. And while I definitely found horseradish recipes while scouring my family's collection of cookbooks, I don't have too much interest in the many way the root complements gefilte fish! So, I gave up on Jewish cooking and my E. European roots, I decided to embrace some newer takes on the old standby.

The LA Times had an appetizing Beet and Horseradish side dish recipe - however, I found it a bit too heavy on the mustard. Playing off of my favorite winter staple, check out this Roasted Root Veggies recipe with our bitter star. For a bit of eccentricity, try the Parsnip and Pear Latkes and substitute 1 tbs grated fresh horseradish and 1 tbs tapioca starch for the egg. If you really want to make that transition to spring, opt for a light Asparagus dish with horseradish sauce.

For me, tonight, I added a little zip to my mashed potatoes and kale inspired by 101 Cookbooks!

Smashing Purple Potatoes with a Tang

4 medium purple potatoes, washed, peeled (if possible), and halved

1 medium rutabaga, quartered

1/4 large onions, chopped

2 tbs fresh horseradish, grated (sprinkled with a little vinegar after grating)

2 tbs olive oil, or to taste

salt, to taste

Non-dairy creamer, optional or to taste

1. Boil potatoes and rutabaga until fork tender.

2. While potatoes are on, caramelize the onions in a small frying pan with about 1/2 tbs olive oil.

3. When both are done, combine in a bowl (or sauce pan) with horseradish and salt. Mash with a masher!

4. Add olive oil to preferred taste and consistency.

5. Serve with a side of garlicky sauteed kale!

Up Next: Pies!