Some vegetables in our country have lost their popularity. Or they never really used it at all. But in Europe they are experiencing a new renaissance. Maybe we should also remember about these cultures?
“… Grandma for the grandfather, grandfather for the turnip – pull-pull – pulled the turnip!” They pulled it out and forgot that there is such a wonderful root crop. And few of us today know not only a fairy tale, but also the taste of this, it seems, a primordially Russian vegetable of the cabbage family. But once the turnip, rich in vitamin C, calcium, carotene and rather unpretentious in care, replaced both bread and potatoes on the Russian table. In no other country in the world was turnip so appreciated as in Russia. This vegetable was well stored and did not lose its vitamin properties until spring.
However, now this root crop is experiencing its renaissance not in the Russian expanses, but in Europe. In Germany, for example, turnips were very popular during World War II. Then from this “vegetable for the poor” they made jam and even coffee. After the war, they tried to forget about the turnip, it was very reminiscent of difficult times.
Nowadays, vegetarians are returning turnips to European stores in search of a variety of vegetables. It is increasingly seen on the menus of hipster restaurants with an emphasis on regional and sustainable produce. Fashionable chefs cook cream soups from turnips, add them to mashed potatoes, or to so-called “farm” salads – raw. Want to try? Turnip recipes can be found HERE.
And this is not the only vegetable crop having a comeback. We found a few more forgotten plants that are now popular again in European cuisine.
Parsnip
This is not only the surname of the famous poet, but also a perennial plant rich in potassium and phosphorus. This product was once very popular on the English Christmas table. Parsnip is a distant relative of parsley and carrots, it has a light sweetish taste. In Europe, they like to add parsnip root to vegetable broths, stews, salads and even desserts. This vegetable crop is often used as an ingredient in baby food or as a condiment.
Purple carrot
This is not a strange mutation of the orange one we are used to, but her “great-grandmother”. Until the 17th century, this root vegetable was only red, yellow, white or purple and was often used medicinally to improve digestion or to combat night blindness. The orange carrot, familiar to us today, was bred and distributed throughout the world by the Dutch.
Today, in many European markets, you can often find multi-colored bunches of carrots, which are used both as an original decoration for vegetable dishes, and as a healthy alternative to the usual orange carrots in salads and vegetable stews. After all, the content of carotene in purple carrots is even higher than in orange.
Chard
Or beetroot. A very beautiful decorative vegetable, but not only. If beetroot as a root crop does not lose its relevance in Russia, thanks to our constant passion for borscht or herring under a fur coat, then beetroot leaves are not very popular. Although initially it was the beet leaf “tops” that were used for food, and the edible “roots” were discovered as a food product later.
In Europe, chard can be bought today at any farmer’s market. There are stems of white, red and yellow flowers. This vitamin-rich vegetable is stewed, pickled or raw, and even added to desserts. During heat treatment, Swiss chard leaves do not lose their beneficial properties – they contain an incredible amount of vitamins and fiber.
Rhubarb
Another perennial plant known in Russian and European cuisine since the 18th century. This unpretentious vegetable culture is not very common today in Russia, but in Europe rhubarb stalks are one of the most favorite fillings in pies. The main thing is to have time to cut off the young rhubarb stalks before they become coarse, and you can enjoy its sour taste. The biggest hit is to bake a pie stuffed with rhubarb and strawberries. How many useful vitamins it will contain! And the scent is simply stunning.
Leek or bear onion
Another herb that has been known since ancient times and has practically disappeared from Russian beds. In any case, in the middle zone of the country – in the Far East, wild garlic is still popular, like fern. And in some countries of the post-Soviet space, wild garlic is even listed in the Red Book, so it has become a rarity.
In Europe, and in particular in England, the Czech Republic and Germany, it is a very common, but not cheap product. This plant is known for its vitamin composition and powerful antibacterial properties, so in Europe people like to add wild garlic to salads, bread, hot dishes or make pesto from it.
Jerusalem artichoke
Its second name is earthen pear. Once he was very popular in Russia. However, potatoes have almost completely supplanted Jerusalem artichoke from Russian and European gardens, so nowadays few people know that this is not a weed, but a very useful root crop. Indeed, in terms of nutritional value, it is even healthier than beets and is very easy to prepare. Today Europe is rediscovering the earthen pear. Soups, mashed potatoes, salads and even fried Jerusalem artichoke are also considered dietary.