Lesson 2: Bulbs, Tubers, and Roots

Now let's talk about ways to prepare these tasty vegetables. Roots and root types like bulbs and tubers generally benefit from longer cooking times to tease out the best flavors and textures. You can find veggie recipes using our recipe index posted in lesson 7. Just search on your favorites!

The recipes are perfect for cooking demonstrations, handouts, or sample meals you can prepare for your audience. How will you put them to use?

* Recipes marked with an asterisk (*) are vegan.

Now let's talk kitchen hacks with a quick exploration of how to make root vegetables that are tasty and easy for anyone to prepare...

We'll begin with a short video demonstrating the best ways to grate and shave root vegetables using standard kitchen tools.

Now let's explore some of the best ways to puree and roast root vegetables. This is another delicious preparation technique that will make these roots appealing to a wide audience.

And now for the last segment of this lesson: presentation. Here are some pretty ways to present root vegetables in healthful meals and snacks.

Arrange rainbow carrots in a shallow bowl of dip or dressing. This also works with baby carrots, too!

Prepare a fresh root salad with greens, shaved ginger, grated carrots, and thinly-sliced golden beets tossed in vinegar and oil.

Sometimes simplest is best, as is the case with this tasty plate of roasted beets with balsamic vinegar glaze.

You can also make tasty beets by simmering them with raspberries and red wine vinegar. Vinegar preserves the color of red fruits and vegetables that contain anthocyanins.

Now, how about pureed parsnips? Simple puree boiled parsnips with fat-free milk or fat-free half-and-half plus a little butter, salt, and pepper. If you spoon them onto the plate, they make an excellent presentation, ready to be topped by your favorite protein and more veggies.

Pureed roasted sweet potatoes are made by roasting sweet potatoes in the oven or microwave until very tender. Mash them with fat-free half-and-half or skim milk, then top them with butter and apple pie spice.

'Remember that root vegetables are very dense and hard to chop. So you should use a grater, sharp knife, or mandolin to chop/grate them. They should be cooked, steamed, or roasted very well until they are pretty tender. This differs from leafy vegetables and other vegetables that chop very easily and must be cooked quickly.

Enjoy your roots!