In the supermarket, one of the first shelves is often filled with vegetables. There are so many varieties that you sometimes no longer know what you are buying. Among the well-known broccoli and carrots you will also find unknown varieties. We call these forgotten vegetables. These are a few and what you can make possible with them.
Try these forgotten vegetables!
Parsnip
Parsnips are becoming more and more known, but are still a forgotten vegetable. This vegetable belongs to the umbellifer family and is also called white carrot or pinksternacle. The parsnip comes from the Mediterranean region, where it was the same size as a normal carrot. When Greeks took the vegetable north, they saw that the root suddenly grew much larger. This vegetable is still popular in the United Kingdom, but unfortunately it has disappeared in our country.
Tasty recipe: parsnip stew
Supplies
- Potatoes
- Parsnip
- Onions
- Apples
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
This is how you make it
Start by cooking the potatoes and parsnips. You can easily cook these together in one pan. While this is cooking, fry the onions in a pan with a little olive oil. After about ten minutes, add the apple and let it cook. When both steps are complete, mash the potatoes, parsnips and onion-apple mixture together. Add some extra salt and pepper for some extra flavor and enjoy! Is the stew still a bit dry? No problem. Add some extra olive oil until the stew is deliciously smooth.
May turnip
The turnip gets its name for a quite logical reason. This vegetable is harvested in the spring and May is the spring month. Turnips are also easy to harvest in the fall, but spring is really the season. May turnip is also called turnip. Don’t confuse this with the rutabaga, this is another forgotten vegetable. In our country, hardly anyone grows this vegetable anymore, but it is popular in countries such as France. You recognize the turnip by its beautiful pink-purple color.
Tasty recipe: Turnip soup with peas
Supplies
- May turnip
- Onion
- Frozen peas
- chicken bouillon
- Mint
- Olive oil
This is how you make it
This recipe is easy for everyone. Start by chopping an onion. Also cut the turnip into small cubes so that it is easy to puree. Fry the onions with some olive oil in a soup pan and then add the turnips. After about three minutes, add the chicken stock and peas to the mixture. Let the sauce boil until the turnip is done. Is it done? Then remove the pan from the heat and puree the soup with a hand blender. Garnish with some mint and the soup is ready.
Purslane
Purslane comes in many different forms. Surinamese, winter and summer porcelain are the ‘better known’. The vegetable originates from the Far East and probably came to us during the Roman Empire. The taste of purslane is refined. It has a sharper, slightly sour taste that makes many dishes just that little bit tastier. Unfortunately, few people use these green vegetables and the sour taste doesn’t help. Purslane is therefore available almost all year round, with a slightly different version every season. So vary your dishes in summer and winter. The same dish may taste different from one season to another.
Tasty recipe: Smoothie
Supplies
- Purslane
- Banana
- Mint
- (Almond) milk
This is how you make it
Make this smoothie as you normally make a smoothie. If necessary, wash the purslane in advance, but do not do this too roughly. It is a sensitive vegetable and you naturally want to keep all the healthy parts. Place the purslane, banana, mint and milk in a blender (or other kitchen appliance that turns the ingredients into a smoothie) and blend to a good structure. Is the smoothie still too thick? Then add some extra milk or possibly some water to soften it.
Turnip greens
Turnip greens are elongated leaves with a crispy stem. Turnip greens and turnip greens come from the same plant. They are the young leaves of the turnip. The vegetable looks a bit like arugula and spinach. The taste is slightly spicy, just like we are used to with arugula. The vegetable does not keep for a long time, so don’t buy too much of it and eat as much of it as possible while you have it at home. Turnip greens are full of vitamin C and iron.
Tasty recipe: crostini
Supplies
- Crostini (homemade or purchased)
- Lemon
- Turnip greens
- Parmigiano Reggiano
- Pine nuts
This is how you make it
Making crostinis yourself is possible, but for convenience, this recipe assumes that you use purchased ones. Start by squeezing half a lemon and grating the whole lemon peel into a small bowl. Also grate the Parmigiano Reggiano and cut the turnip greens into large pieces. Heat olive oil in a pan and fry the turnip greens for about two to three minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and mix the cheese, pine nuts and the lemon shavings and juice with the turnip greens. Divide the mixture over all the crostinis and you have a delicious snack for you and your friends.
Black radish
Are radishes just a bit too much for you? Then the black radish is a good substitute. This vegetable is very similar to a radish in taste, but looks completely different on the outside. The vegetable grows underground, which gives it its black color. The inside, on the other hand, is super white. The taste of radish is slightly less spicy than radish. The larger the radish, the milder the taste. So you don’t like the spiciness in your vegetables at all? Then go for a large radish.
Tasty recipe: Black radish salad
Supplies
- Black radish
- Carrot
- Apple
- Unsweetened yogurt dressing
- Pepper and salt
This is how you make it
This salad is mainly intended as a side dish for your other delicious dishes. Start by grating the radish and carrot. Make sure these are strips. Also cut the apple into pieces. Pour the yoghurt dressing over the carrot, black radish and apple mixture. Season it with some salt and pepper. This is a refreshing salad that will give your standard dinner an extra boost.
