Some vegetables used to be eaten a lot because they were simply available. Import and export were not as natural as they are now. After that they were forgotten or not eaten anymore because it was not fancy enough. Now these forgotten vegetables are reappearing and some, such as hop shoots, are even quite expensive. For some variety in the daily kitchen, it is definitely worth giving them a try!
Forgotten vegetables. How do they look like? How do they taste? What can you do with it? Below an answer to all your questions.
Parsnip
The vegetable
Parsnip is a distant cousin of our home, garden and kitchen carrot. It therefore looks like a thick, white carrot, with a number of lateral roots at the bottom. The taste is slightly sweet with a hint of anise. It is a real winter vegetable. If it is frozen, the parsnip will taste even better. After all, the parsnip builds up a supply of sugar to protect itself against the freezing cold. In the past, a lot of parsnips were eaten, but with the arrival of the potato, this vegetable was supplanted and almost forgotten. Thanks to the hype to eat forgotten vegetables again, it is now in the shops again!
The use
Parsnips can be used as a potato substitute. When you cut it into sticks and then blanch it, it can be used for fries. Or you can make it into a gratin by cutting the parsnip into slices and then pouring it with a cheese sauce. Or parsnip puree by mashing two thirds parsnips with a third potato. Due to its typical aniseed flavor, parsnip also works very well with meat or fish dishes. Also very tasty in a stew or roasted from the oven.
Hop shoots
The vegetable
Hop shoots look a bit like soy sprouts. About 5 to 6 centimeters long, white and narrow. They taste a bit like salsify. It is a typical Belgian product. The city of Poperinge in West Flanders is the center of the hop shoot. The hop shoots are very expensive to purchase because picking the hop shoots is so labor-intensive. Every hop shoot must be picked by hand. Hop shoots are available from January to mid-April.
The use
Hop shoots can only be eaten fresh. You cannot keep them for long and you cannot deep freeze them. After cleaning, scare the hop shoots in lemon juice. Then they are poached for two minutes in pure water with salt. Immerse in ice water immediately after poaching. Then you can bake the hop shoots if necessary.
Salsify
The vegetable
The word salsify comes from the Italian scorzone, which means black adder. So it refers to the black skin of the vegetable and its long, narrow shape. Salsify on the inside are white and have a firm structure.
The use
First salsify must be washed well and then peeled. Then they are boiled with a little lemon juice in the cooking water. Then you can fry them in butter. Or prepare with a béchamel sauce. You can also au gratin them in the oven with a cheese sauce on top. Or you can cut them into thin slices and fry them into fries.
Jerusalem artichoke
The vegetable
The Jerusalem artichoke is also known as Jerusalem artichoke or Jerusalem artichoke. He is from North America where he is very popular. Especially at Thanksgiving, it is traditionally served iced with the turkey. Jerusalem artichokes can be eaten all winter. The Jerusalem artichoke is the underground tuber. The taste is slightly sweet, a bit nutty and you can also taste artichoke in it. The Jerusalem artichoke is cream to pinkish red and looks a bit like a ginger root. Jerusalem artichoke is very healthy for diabetics.
The use
The Jerusalem artichoke is washed and scrubbed clean. The peel is edible and can best be left on because the skin contains most of the nutrients. If you still want to remove the skin, it is best to steam or boil the vegetables briefly first. Jerusalem artichoke is used like a potato. Cooking, steaming, baking, pureeing, everything is possible.
Kohlrabi
The vegetable
Kohlrabi looks like a small, light green cabbage. The vegetable has a mild flavor, is quite sweet and has a slightly nutty taste.
The use
Cook kohlrabi with the skin and peel it after cooking. Kohlrabi can be eaten raw in lettuce, mashed with potatoes, it can be made into chips, you can cut it into slices or cubes and use it in a gratin. Very tasty is a hollowed-out kohlrabi filled with minced meat and the mashed pulp, heated in the oven.
Radish
The vegetable
The radish is a round or elongated vegetable with a black skin. Black radish has a spicy, spicy taste. It is sometimes said that black radish is the first vegetable ever grown. There is also a white variant. This is the Daikon and it’s from Japan. This one has a slightly milder taste than the black variant.
The use
Both black radish and Daikon can be eaten cold, in cubes or slices with an aperitif or in a salad. But you can also stew and cook the vegetables perfectly.
The sweet potato
The vegetable
The sweet potato is also called sweet potato. He is originally from Peru and Mexico. Its taste is sweet as the name suggests, but with a spicy touch. The best sweet potatoes are the size of a potato, but they can also weigh up to 5 kg. However, the large specimens are tough and stringy. The color of the skin is pink to reddish brown. The sweet potato contains many vitamins A and C and is very rich in fiber. The English King Henry the 8th thought that eating sweet potato could increase the chance of a healthy son. Yet there is also a drawback to the vegetable. The tuber contains raffinose. This sugar is not digested in the front part of the digestive organ and the result is: flatulence!
The use
Brush well and cook with the skin. Then peel. Baked with onion or leek, it is a delicacy, but the vegetables can also be stewed, boiled or made into puree.
Forgotten vegetables are given a new label
During the Horticultural Flanders trade fair in November 2011, the foundation was laid for a new label, specially designed for forgotten Flemish vegetables: the Bel’Orta label. The label was officially launched on December 5, 2011. The aim: to give extra attention to forgotten vegetables in shops and supermarkets. Television chefs and star chefs started to use forgotten vegetables more often in their recipes.
Would you like to get even more ideas for cooking with forgotten vegetables? There are many recipes with forgotten vegetables on the internet. For example, type in “Boerinnenbond” and you will find quite a few. When you buy a fruit and vegetable basket from an organic farmer, there are often forgotten vegetables. Recipes are included, so you can get started right away. For addresses in Belgium to get an organic fruit and vegetable basket, please visit www.groententeams.be.
Tasty!