Salsify

Salsify sounds like something you'd do to tomatoes right before turning them into salsa. But this skinny vegetable has nothing to do with tomatoes or Mexican food. Instead, salsify (actually pronounced "SAL-se-fee") hails from the Mediterranean, where ancient Greeks and Romans harvested the roots for both food and medicine. Through the Middle Ages and up until the last century, this vegetable was a common sight in both Europe and the United States. However, with the advent of refrigeration, people started using vegetables that were more difficult to preserve, and the once-popular salsify faded into obscurity.

This plant comes in two different varieties: black salsify and white salsify. Throughout history, it has gone by many names, including purple goat's beard and vegetable oyster. To this day, you'll often see black salsify referred to as scorzonera. But it's not exactly pretty, so many people may pass right by this vegetable without giving it much thought.

So what, exactly, is salsify? Tragopogon porrifolius is a long, thin root vegetable that's a member of the dandelion family. It looks similar to a medium or large carrot or parsnip. Black salsify is immediately recognizable by its dark, nearly black, smooth skin while white salsify has brown or tan skin and is more "hairy". Both varieties have white flesh that looks similar to a turnip.

In the garden, salsify makes an excellent bedding or background plant. The greens, which are also edible, look like tufts of coarse grass, and they grow up to three feet tall. It has dusky pink to purple blooms that look something like a cross between a daisy and a dandelion. And, just like dandelions, the flowers turn into white puffs when they go to seed!

So how does one use or cook with salsify? Centuries ago, this plant saw some medicinal use for gallbladder and liver complaints. Black salsify was sometimes called "Viper's Grass" because it was a popular remedy for snakebites. Today, salsify can be used as a replacement for nearly any root crop – especially potatoes. Boil it, mash it, put it in your favourite soups and stews or simply cube it and sauté it in butter with its greens. You can even use it in place of potatoes in au gratin or scalloped potatoes recipes.

The best part is that salsify is much better for you than most starchy root vegetables. These simple roots contain lots of iron, vitamin C, thiamin, calcium, and phosphorus, and provide a healthy dose of fiber. They also have as much potassium as a banana. All of this earns them "superfood" status.

This good-for-you vegetable tastes good, too. Many claim that salsify tastes a little bit like oysters, which is one reason why it's often called "vegetable oyster". In truth, black salsify has a mild oyster flavour that makes it perfect for chowder or mock oyster soup. White salsify has a somewhat different flavour, similar to artichoke hearts or asparagus.