Horseradish has one of those flavors you either love or hate. I fall in the camp of horseradish lovers, enjoying the sharp, pungent flavor in everything from sandwiches to bloody marys. Really, what would seafood cocktail sauce be without the bright sharpness of horseradish?
Most of us buy our horseradish already prepared. Those little jars of grated horseradish root mixed with vinegar or with vinegar and beet juice will keep in your refrigerator for months. It’s not an herb we think of as seasonal.
Turns out, winter is the season for fresh horseradish, the best time to harvest the roots. Harvesting is a little more complicated than picking a tomato. The horseradish plant must be dug up, roots harvested and some roots replanted to grow on in the spring.
Horseradish is a perennial herb that will do well for us here in the Atlanta area. Geri Laufer, horticulturist and host of #herbchat on Twitter at 2 p.m. each Thursday, enjoys growing horseradish in her garden as much for its broad, coarse-textured strap-shaped leaves as for the culinary value of the roots.
“Those broad leaves provide a nice texture in the garden. They contrast well with finer textured plants like copper fennel,” Laufer told me. The leaves are edible and referred to as horseradish greens, but they’re not commonly eaten.
If you want to experiment with horseradish in your garden, you can find horseradish roots in the produce section of your grocery store. Look for plump roots; you may even find some that are beginning to sprout. Laufer says horseradish won’t grow well in a container, but will grow fine in your garden beds in sun or partial shade. Cut off part of your store-bought root to grate for dinner and plant the rest in the garden.
When you’re ready to use the root, scrub it well and grate it. “There’s no need to peel the root. Make sure there’s good air circulation [when you start grating] so the fumes don’t overpower you,” Laufer said.
If you want to preserve the grated root, mix it with a little vinegar, bottle it and store it in the refrigerator, where it will keep for a few weeks. For longer storage, store the root loosely wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator, where it will keep a little longer, Laufer added.
Horseradish roots will be available at the annual plant sale of the Atlanta chapter of the Herb Society of America. Held April 14 and 15 at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, the herb society will have more than 300 varieties of herbs for sale. There’s additional information on its website, http://www.cuhsa.org/events/events.htm.
For sale
Vegetables and nuts: arugula, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, chard, collards, dandelion, endive, escarole, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mustard greens, mushrooms, pea shoots, pecans, peppers, radishes, Romanesco broccoli, rutabagas, spinach, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips
From local reports
Roasted Beets With Horseradish
Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 1 hour
Serves: 8
Beets and horseradish are a classic combination. I’ve used yogurt here, but the original recipe calls for the more indulgent use of sour cream. Sumac is an herb I happen to keep in my pantry since I cook quite a few Mediterranean dishes. It's also a traditional Southern herb, one of the few native plants to this area that provides a sour flavor similar to lemon. You can find sumac at Mediterranean groceries or at natural food stores.
4 to 6 medium beets, trimmed of greens (about 2 pounds total)
3/4 cup non-fat yogurt
1/4 cup freshly grated horseradish
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoons ground dried sumac
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Arrange beets in a medium baking dish and cover tightly with foil. Bake until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife, 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the beets.
While beets are cooking, make the horseradish sauce in a small bowl by whisking together yogurt, horseradish and lemon juice. Season to taste. Refrigerate until needed.
When the beets are tender, remove from oven, uncover dish and let beets cool enough to handle. Trim the top and bottom from the beets and slip off their skins. Cut the warm beets into large wedges and arrange on plates or serving platter. Top with the horseradish sauce, sprinkle with sumac and serve warm.
Adapted from "The New Southern Garden Cookbook: Enjoying the Best from Homegrown Gardens, Farmers' Markets, Roadside Stands, and CSA Farm Boxes," by Sheri Castle (University of North Carolina Press, $35).
Per serving: 53 calories (percent of calories from fat, 3), 3 grams protein, 11 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, trace fat (no saturated fat), trace cholesterol, 76 milligrams sodium.
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