- ingredients a-z
- in season
Ingredients by
Swede
Home grown, best in winter
I love the unique flavour of swedes, which seems to epitomise all the goodness of home cooking. They have long been of service to cooks because their presence in stews and casseroles not only ekes out the meat to make it go further, but also adds something of its own flavour, while at the same time absorbing some of the meat flavours as well. Swede is also good served solo as a vegetable.
To prepare swede: all you need is a potato peeler to peel it in precisely the same way as a potato, slicing off the root end first with a knife. Then just cut the swede into suitably sized chunks.
To cook swede: cut it into 1 inch (2.5 cm) dice and steam for about 10 minutes, or until tender, then whiz to a purée in a food processor, or mash with a fork, adding a knob of butter, salt and lots of freshly milled black pepper. This method also works very well using half swede and half carrot but, in this case, I like it chopped small rather than puréed.
For roast swede: cut the chunks larger – 1½ inches (4 cm) – place the cubes in a bowl, adding (for 1 lb/450 g) 1 dessertspoon of olive oil and some seasoning. Toss the swede around to get all the pieces coated in the oil, then place them on a baking tray and roast in a pre-heated oven set to gas mark 7, 425°F (220°C) for 30-35 minutes, until the swede is nicely toasted brown at the edges. Serves 4.
Serves 4Roasted Roots with Herbs
Since oven-roasted vegetables in the 'Summer Collection' were so very popular, I simply had to do a winter version. Here is it and once again it is a winner for entertaining, not least because all the vegetables can be cooked together.
Serves 4Black Bean Soup with Black Bean Salsa
This soup is simply stunning, one you'll want to make over and over again. Black beans don't have a strong flavour of their own but they do carry other flavours superbly, while at the same time yielding a unique velvety texture.
Serves 4-6Minestrone with Orecchiette and Borlotti Beans
Delia describes this soup as 'one of the best I've ever tasted' and we're certainly not arguing with that! Some soups are hearty and filling enough to make a substantial lunch and this Italian classic is one of them: just add bread…
Serves 6Oven-roasted Winter Vegetables
Roasting vegetables is a great way of maximising their nutritional benefit as the vitamins don't leach out into the cooking water - and they're full of flavour and texture. This recipe uses all those wonderful root veg in one go.
Serves 4-6Roasted Swede with Parmesan
Roasting swede gives it a totally different dimension from boiling or steaming it, and adding a coating of flour and Parmesan cheese gives it a wonderful crunchy outside. Give it a try - even swede haters will love it!
