Root of the matter

As the temperature drops, warming suppers of hotpots, curries and vegetables roasted slowly in the oven sound more and more attractive. Pumpkins, carrots and parsnips are all fantastic, but consider trying some of the less well-known roots such as salsify, scorzonera, Hamburg parsley and even skirret. All are excellent hardy winter vegetables and produced really good roots in the Harlow Carr kitchen garden raised beds this year. As with any root vegetable, the soil needs to be well cultivated, a good depth and not freshly manured.

Salsify (Tragapogon porrifolius) and Scorzonera (Scorzonera hispanica) are both members of the asteracae or daisy family. Salsify is also commonly known as the vegetable oyster, supposedly because of its flavour, although it tastes more nutty than anything. A hardy biennial crop, roots are harvested at the end of the first season and are easy to grow and quite productive. The whiskery roots are easy to peel, and can be eaten raw or baked, boiled and sautéed with butter. Joy Larkcom in ‘Creative Vegetable Gardening’ recommends leaving some to produce the attractive purple dandelion-like flowers, which are also edible.

Scorzonera, also known as black salsify, is easily recognisable with its long, thin, black roots. It is a hardy perennial plant, so roots can be left in the ground over winter. They exude a kind of milky sap if cut when raw, so it’s best to cook them unpeeled, run them under a cool tap and remove the skin at this stage – not as fiddly as it sounds. Served with butter and grated parmesan they are delicious – not unlike pink fir apple potatoes in flavour, and very popular in Italian cooking, so look in Italian recipe books for inspiration. The variety ‘Long Black Maxima’ produced some lovely good-sized roots. Neither salsify nor scorzonera are attacked by carrot fly.

Skirret (Sium sisarum) is another ancient vegetable, popular with the Romans and apparently Henry VIII. A perennial plant, they do flower in their first year, but unlike other root veg, yield is not affected by this. To get more substantial roots, plants can be divided and the best tubers grown on another year. The roots have a woody core, so unless they’re a decent size, there’s not much to eat. Skirret was described as the ‘sweetest, whitest and most pleasant of roots’ in a 1677 herbal.

Hamburg parsley (Petroselinum crispum var. tuberosum) is related to parsnip, which it resembles quite closely. An important ingredient in Borscht, it is more widely grown in eastern Europe and Russia. Both the roots and leaves of the plant can be used, and the flavour and smell is wonderful. Germination can be erratic, so avoid high temperatures by sowing early. This, as well as the other roots above, can all be sown direct and then thinned.

It’s well worth trying some of these rarer vegetables in the garden; they are useful hardy winter veg, attractive looking, easy to grow, flavoursome and an interesting addition to winter meals. Scorzonera, salsify and Hambury parsley are widely available in the seed catalogues. Skirret is available from Chiltern Seeds, or as one-year old crowns to plant from Incredible Vegetables.

Growing Unusual Vegetables, by Simon Hickmott is a great book for less-well known crops. Sadly it’s out of print, but can be found in libraries.

JOBS FOR THE WEEK

• If the weather is still mild enough, weed and then mulch beds to get a head start in spring

• Clean pots and labels and tidy sheds and greenhouses ready for seed sowing to start

• If you haven’t ordered your seeds, spend some time on a dark, cold day planning all the lovely things you will grow – try something new, or unusual.

DIARY DATES

7 Jan-26 Feb: Bath House Gallery & Library: Gardens Behind Barbed Wire

A remarkable piece of World War One history is told in this exhibition. ‘Gardens Behind Barbed Wire’ tells the ‘forgotten’ story of an intrepid group of British men who set up a horticultural society in the Ruhleben internment camp in Germany and helped to feed their fellow prisoners throughout the War. Normal garden admission.

To March: Winter Walk 10-year anniversary

Harlow Carr celebrates the 10-year anniversary of its Winter Walk this year. To mark the occasion, 5,000 irises have been planted and will bloom as the garden moves into early spring. Adorned with daphnes, witch hazels, birch trees and maples, the striking stem colours and variety of forms, textures and scents make this a must-see from November through until March. Normal garden admission.

Saturday 28-Sunday 29 January, 11am-3pm: Grow & Show Weekend

Join writer and broadcaster Martin Fish and a panel of gardening experts for a weekend of no-nonsense advice on how to grow your own fruit and vegetables. No matter what size of plot you have – from a window box to a spare bed or allotment – come along for practical talks and demonstrations. There’s also a chance to put your questions to the experts at a special grow your own Q&A. Normal garden admission.

Events at RHS Garden Harlow Carr are free with the normal garden entrance fee, except where stated. For further information, call 01423-565418.