Winter Roots

Underground Eating

Dig deep and you will find that from beets and burdock to turnips, turmeric and yams, plant roots are some of the most humble and unassuming – and at the same time underrated – foods we can eat. Economical, healthy, and tasty, roots have been important to humans since the dawn of time.

Now cooks and chefs are rediscovering what early peoples and herbalists of all eras have always known: underground roots, tubers and bulbs of many plants are not only nutritious and satisfying as a food, but they often carry concentrated healing components.

By their very nature as producers and storehouses of energy for the entire plant, roots are full of fibre, vitamins, minerals, proteins and other tremendously important nutrients. Potatoes, for example, provide "per land unit, more energy and more protein for the human body in a shorter time than any other crop (five times more than soybeans, corn or wheat)." (From The Essential Root Vegetable Cookbook, Sally and Martin Stone; Clarkson N. Potter, Inc., NY, 1991.)

Read the rest of the article as it appeared in Vitality magazine here, and download Root Slaw and other root recipes.

Canning Video

Global Morning Cans!

Last week I went to the home of Morning Show co-host Daru and together, we made Scarlet Mango Chutney. In less than one hour, we made the pickling spice, cooked the chutney and filled the jars. Watch the results by clicking on the screen to the right-

Scarlet Mango Chutney

While this chutney is piquant enough to stand up to the spiciest of dishes, it is not the color one would expect: it is flaming red. I love the beet/mango combination and the cider vinegar, candied ginger, turmeric and pickling spice combine to transport one back to Bombay and turn of the century England, with its curries and chutneys.

I challenge you to try this scarlet version before going back to the traditional, glowing orange mixture, but if you really must have yellow chutney, simply substitute grated butternut or acorn squash for the beets.

Makes 8+ cups (2+ L)

4 to 6 mangoes (about 4 lbs/2 kg)

1 cup (250 mL) raisins

½ cup (125 mL) freshly squeezed lime juice

1-1/4 cups (300 mL) apple cider vinegar

¼ cup (50 mL) apple juice

¾ cup (175 mL) packed brown sugar

2 tbsp (25 mL) Classic Pickling Spice Blend (page xx) or commercial pickling spice, wrapped in cheesecloth

1 tbsp (15 mL) ground turmeric

1 tbsp (15 mL) pickling salt

4 cups (1 L) shredded beets

2 cups (500 mL) chopped onions

½ cup (125 mL) chopped candied gingerroot

1. Dice mangoes following. You should have about 6 cups (1.5 L). Transfer mango to a large bowl and combine with raisins and lime juice.

2. Heat 5 1-pint (500 mL) jars in boiling water and scald the lids, lifter, funnel and tongs.

3. In a Maslin pan or canning kettle, combine vinegar, apple juice and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Add turmeric and salt. Stir well and hang the pickling spice bag so that it is immersed in the boiling mixture. Add mango mixture, beets, onions and gingerroot. Stir and bring back to a boil. Reduce heat and boil gently, stirring occasionally for 30 to 45 minutes, or until vegetables are soft.

4. Fill hot jars, leaving a 1/4-inch (0.5 cm) headspace. Remove air bubbles and add more hot chutney if necessary, to leave a 1/4-inch (0.5 cm) headspace. Wipe rims, top with flat lids and screw on metal rings. Return jars to the hot water bath, topping up with hot water if necessary. Bring to a full rolling boil and process jars for 10 minutes.

5. Remove canner lid and wait 5 minutes before removing jars to a towel or rack to cool completely. Check seals, label and store in a cool place for up to 1 year

Use: The beets in this chutney make it more savory than traditional mango chutney, so it may be liberally used with grilled and roasted meats and hearty winter casseroles and stir-fried dishes.

tagine cooking

Some of the early responses to my new book, 150 Best Tagine Recipes are great. You can see my Pomegranate Molasses recipe at What's Cooking in Your World.

What about you? Do you own a tagine? Do you like the flavours of North Africa?

More Praise for Pat's Tagine Cookbook

The Big Taste of Bay

The Big Taste of Bay

With its sweet, slightly pungent balsamic aroma and spikes of nutmeg and camphor, the beauty of cooking with bay is that it releases its flavour slowly, which makes it an essential herb for slow, long cooking techniques.

Indeed, stocks, soups, stews, sauces, marinades, stuffing and pickles benefit from the addition of fresh or dried bay leaves. Garnishing cooked or cold-pressed paté or terrines with a leaf or two infuses the spicy essence of the Mediterranean, its native homeland. Fish dishes are enhanced by the combination of bay and fennel. Lamb and other robust meats may be stewed or grilled with bay as a key ingredient. Bay adds the characteristic flavour to béchamel sauce; while tomatoes, oregano, thyme and bay are the foremost ingredients in tomato sauce. Bay is a popular herb used to flavour wines and it is positively brilliant in baked bean and lentil dishes.

Go visit Vitality magazine for original recipes and read the rest of my article on using bay in cooking.