Why you always gotta be messin wit rain man bout the root vegtabels?

Cassava (Manihot esculenta), also called yuca or manioc.

It's the first image I posted. :D

They sell it at my local Dillons. I would be seriously surprised if it is not available locally in Denver as well. Try asian markets if you have any nearby... I can almost guarantee they will stock it if your local grocer does not.

I eat radishes for a snack. I like the hint of spice they have.

Yeah, I don't think soggy would be good. You want them to be firm, maybe a little more firm than the potatoes in au gratin potatoes. I also highly recommend mixing turnips, rutabagas, and parsnips so you get a mix of flavors. I'm not sure that having one of them alone would work as well.

We do this exact thing with potatoes, carrots and sweet potatoes.

I might try to vary the mix a little bit, but my family is going to be very suspicious of those other root veggies. I'm a big fan of beets myself.

Ever made sweet potato chips in a fryer? They're different and a nice change.

Cassava is the same as manioc? I didn't know that. I think of manioc as a native american thing and cassava as an African thing. (Maybe I'm wrong, but that's my thinking.) Would it exist wild in both places, or did it only cross with the explorers and settlers?

I'd never heard the yuca term before. Is that a puerto rican name?

Again, I like greens but my family hates even the smell of them. I'm trying to eat healthier this year than I did last year, so greens might make a reappearance. I like to mix them, but I really like the kick of the mustard green.

I bet if you mix them in a little and don't tell them, they'll like it. For some reason, turnips and rutabagas have bad p.r., and I don't know why.

I'm not a sweet potato guy at all, but carrots and potatoes do indeed mix well.

I like turnips but they smell better while boiling than they taste.

I usually mix the mustard, turnip and collards. I saute a little garlic in some olive oil, then add chicken broth, a little vinegar, a few red pepper flakes and some black pepper and a dash of salt. I let that simmer for a bit, then start adding the greens. I know some people like to cook greens for an hour or more; personally I think 15-20 minutes is about right.

It's originally a Taino, native Puerto Rican tribe, word but I've often heard the root referred to as yuca (yuck-ah) even here in the midwest.

Looking through Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassava

I found nothing in regards to the history of the plant in terms of how it made its way across the ocean or if it is a naturally occurring plant in both hemisphere.

Carrots and potatoes (white or red) are my absolute favorite midnight snack. A dab of olive oil, salt, and pepper... YUM.

For every five potatoes, peel and dice a turnip cooked into a stew. If you ever add to much Worcestershire or vinegar to a sauce, soup, BBQ beans, sauerkraut, or stew, a turnip will neutralize that over-addition.

(Five commas for KCFish: Happy B-Day, man!)

Beets and goat cheese was one of my favorite combinations in the last year.

This soup, but I substitute goat cheese for the creme fraiche:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/fo...Fraiche-231581