Food and Drink You know what's underappreciated? - Page 2

**Rain Man** · 12-30-2009, 05:45 PM

Root vegetables.

Everyone likes potatoes, so they're not really underappreciated. And onions, too. And carrots, of course. They're the Big Three. But it's the others that don't get the recognition they deserve. Turnips. Rutabagas. Parsnips. Beets. You take a bunch of those and cook them up in the oven, and you've got a tasty and nutritious side dish with very little effort.

Seriously, parsnips can roll with the best of them. You can't beat a good batch of parsnips, but in truth the four of them are more like a quartet. You can have a good tenor, a good alto, a good bass, and a good soprano, but it's when you cook them all up together that you really get that harmony that makes you tap your feet.

Root vegetables. If you haven't had them, do so tonight. They're available at your nearest grocer.

**Rain Man** · 12-30-2009, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noswad

how do you cook turnips?

You cut them into small chunk/slices, put some olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper on them, and then put them in the oven at about 400 degrees until they're not crunchy.

Mmmm.

**Donger** · 12-30-2009, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlyonsd

I don't believe you. Anything that ever made me vomit I can promise you I would never have to "look up".

No, I'm serious. I never knew what they were called but they make me sick. They taste awful. As soon as I saw the picture (like a white carrot), I remembered. Haven't had one since I was a boy.

RJ · 12-30-2009, 06:00 PM

Neutral on beets, like all the rest, huge fan of the radish.

**Rain Man** · 12-30-2009, 06:01 PM

Your palate may not have been sophisticated enough to appreciate them as a child. You should try them again and not vomit afterwards, and see what you think.

**pr_capone** · 12-30-2009, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Okay, okay, so I missed a few. No man has a unlimited horizon-to-horizon view of the fabulous universe of root vegetables.

My intent was not to belittle your knowledge of tubers or root veggies, I just happen to be partial to the ones I posted.

When I was a kid I lived in Puerto Rico and we were dirt poor. Several times a month we would go to my great grandmothers house and dig up those particular roots, boil them up, and eat them with salt and butter.

Good times.

**mlyonsd** · 12-30-2009, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pr_capone

yup

If I had just opened this thread without reading it I'd have thought someone had clipped off Skip's nads.

**Donger** · 12-30-2009, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Your palate may not have been sophisticated enough to appreciate them as a child. You should try them again and not vomit afterwards, and see what you think.

Yeah right. Bah!

Slide 12

Blisters developed after exposure to wild parsnip and sunlight.

RJ · 12-30-2009, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donger

No, I'm serious. I never knew what they were called but they make me sick. They taste awful. As soon as I saw the picture (like a white carrot), I remembered. Haven't had one since I was a boy.

They taste about the same as a carrot. I always use them when I make chicken noodle soup. Good stuff.

**Rain Man** · 12-30-2009, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pr_capone

My intent was not to belittle your knowledge of tubers or root veggies, I just happen to be partial to the ones I posted.

When I was a kid I lived in Puerto Rico and we were dirt poor. Several times a month we would go to my great grandmothers house and dig up those particular roots, boil them up, and eat them with salt and butter.

Good times.

Other than the sweet potato and yam, I wasn't familiar with them. It'd be interesting to try them. I'd also like to try cassava some day since it's all over the place in Africa. I've never seen it here, though.

Buzzsaw · 12-30-2009, 06:04 PM

Good thread, just got done eating mashed potatoes that the wife made. She uses red potatoes, leaves the peels in, and adds onions, tomatoes and jalapenos

**Skip Towne** · 12-30-2009, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlyonsd

Limey. They don't grow across the pond?

Speaking of the pond, where did all of that water come from? Rainman? Anybody?

RJ · 12-30-2009, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

You cut them into small chunk/slices, put some olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper on them, and then put them in the oven at about 400 degrees until they're not crunchy.

Mmmm.

I like mine sauteed with carrots.

I'm also a huge fan of the turnip greens. I'll be making a pot of those for New Years.

**Rain Man** · 12-30-2009, 06:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RJ

Neutral on beets, like all the rest, huge fan of the radish.

I'm exactly the same, execpt I'm not a fan of radish at all. When I was a little kid I loved beets, but now I'm neutral towards them.

Gracie Dean · 12-30-2009, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rain Man

You cut them into small chunk/slices, put some olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper on them, and then put them in the oven at about 400 degrees until they're not crunchy.

Mmmm.

Thank you. That sounds good. I think the only time I ever had them before, they were boiled and really soggy

**Rain Man** · 12-30-2009, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip Towne

Speaking of the pond, where did all of that water come from? Rainman? Anybody?

The dinosaurs had the hose running when the meteor hit. It was another 64 million years before humans evolved to turn it off. Huge waste of water.

View Poll Results: Like 'em/don't like 'em. What is your say on the subject?
Beets - Like 'em	17	30.91%
Beets - Strict neutrality	7	12.73%
Beets - Don't like 'em	24	43.64%
Beets - Never had 'em	5	9.09%
Carrots - Like 'em	37	67.27%
Carrots - Strict neutrality	10	18.18%
Carrots - Don't like 'em	4	7.27%
Carrots - Never had 'em	1	1.82%
Onions - Like 'em	42	76.36%
Onions - Strict neutrality	4	7.27%
Onions - Don't like 'em	6	10.91%
Onions - Never had 'em	1	1.82%
Parsnips - Like 'em	5	9.09%
Parsnips - Strict neutrality	12	21.82%
Parsnips - Don't like 'em	5	9.09%
Parsnips - Never had 'em	30	54.55%
Potatoes - Like 'em	47	85.45%
Potatoes - Strict neutrality	0	0%
Potatoes - Don't like 'em	2	3.64%
Potatoes - Never had 'em	1	1.82%
Rutabagas - Like 'em	6	10.91%
Rutabagas - Strict neutrality	5	9.09%
Rutabagas - Don't like 'em	8	14.55%
Rutabagas - Never had 'em	32	58.18%
Turnips - Like 'em	12	21.82%
Turnips - Strict neutrality	12	21.82%
Turnips - Don't like 'em	21	38.18%
Turnips - Never had 'em	8	14.55%
I'm purely carnivorous. Meat only.	8	14.55%
I don't eat root vegetables since they aren't free range.	3	5.45%
If it's not in a frozen dinner, I probably don't eat it.	2	3.64%
Have you read Food Inc's expose of the root vegetable industry?	7	12.73%
Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 55. You may not vote on this poll

12-30-2009, 05:45 PM
Rain Man Seize life. Be an ermine. Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $-642449 VARSITY	You know what's underappreciated? Root vegetables. Everyone likes potatoes, so they're not really underappreciated. And onions, too. And carrots, of course. They're the Big Three. But it's the others that don't get the recognition they deserve. Turnips. Rutabagas. Parsnips. Beets. You take a bunch of those and cook them up in the oven, and you've got a tasty and nutritious side dish with very little effort. Seriously, parsnips can roll with the best of them. You can't beat a good batch of parsnips, but in truth the four of them are more like a quartet. You can have a good tenor, a good alto, a good bass, and a good soprano, but it's when you cook them all up together that you really get that harmony that makes you tap your feet. Root vegetables. If you haven't had them, do so tonight. They're available at your nearest grocer.
Posts: 145,449

12-30-2009, 06:00 PM	#18
RJ Supporter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: In a shotgun shack Casino cash: $9895202	Neutral on beets, like all the rest, huge fan of the radish.
Posts: 14,938

12-30-2009, 06:01 PM	#19
Rain Man Seize life. Be an ermine. Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: My house Casino cash: $-642449 VARSITY	Your palate may not have been sophisticated enough to appreciate them as a child. You should try them again and not vomit afterwards, and see what you think. __________________ Active fan of the greatest team in NFL history.
Posts: 145,449

12-30-2009, 06:04 PM	#25
Buzzsaw Starter Join Date: May 2005 Casino cash: $10004900	Good thread, just got done eating mashed potatoes that the wife made. She uses red potatoes, leaves the peels in, and adds onions, tomatoes and jalapenos
Posts: 331