The best thing about getting a seasonal vege bag is that I’m dealt out things I’d probably never look at in the grocery store – often because I have no freakin’ clue what they are, let alone what to do with them. One such vegetable was salsify. It’s that thing that looks like a dirty stick. I know, not super appealing from that apt description. But when it turned up in my vege bag, my reaction was one of intrigue rather than aversion.
Many describe the taste as somewhere between celeriac and artichoke. I tend to agree. Salsify can be cooked similarly to other root vegetables – although you’ll definitely need to peel them first. That brown outer layer? Like I said, really dirty. Once peeled, I chopped the white roots up, boiled them and turned them into a mash. You can also add salsify to soups, or roast it. Overcooking will make it stringy though, and if you’re not cooking it straight away, set it in some water mixed with lemon juice to prevent discolouring.
Onto the health stuff. Some reported benefits of salsify include its ability to lower blood pressure, boost the immune system, stimulate hair growth, increase circulation, improve your digestive health, increase metabolism and positively affect bone mineral density. As you all know by now, I’m definitely up for anything likely to improve my digestive health so maybe this salsify thing will be making a regular appearance during its on-season.