Support Your Local Farmer

I have started supporting my local Ontario farmers by purchasing locally grown organic fruits and vegetables once a week. I have these delivered to my door, and have discovered some root vegetables that I had never used before, or even heard of.
Here are some of my finds.This is a fun way to get your children to enjoy root vegetables! Below are watermelon Radish and Sunchokes.
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Watermelon Radish

This root vegetable is quite modest to look at, but its beauty is revealed when you cut it. It looks like a watermelon. I simply quarter them or cut them, add olive oil, salt, pepper and bake on a lined cookie sheet at 375 F for about an hour. Turn occasionally and check. They are done when you can pierce them easily with a fork. I browned mine on the edges and they were still simply delicious. I diced the leftovers and added them to a salad the next day.

Jerusalem Artichoke, Sunchokes

These are gnarly looking root vegetables. Wash well in a bowl of water. Scrub with a vegetable brush to remove any dirt. I then cut and sliced them. Again I did a simple treatment of oil, sea salt and pepper. These were roasted in an aluminum lined tray for 35-45 minutes at 400 F, till tender and lightly brown on the edges.
Note: Sunchokes have been likened to water chestnuts for consistency and taste. I chopped the leftovers and sprinkled on top of a pilau the next day.