Food

Paul Flynn: These are the veggies that will reward a bit of love

Take your cooking to an exotic place with these exciting ingredients

A few dinky lesser known vegetables. Photograph: Alan Betson

Paul Flynn's face
Paul Flynn
Sat Jan 30 2021 - 06:04

This week I’m writing about vegetables we don’t come across every day. I’ve been using Jerusalem artichokes for years, I’ve always been a fan of their sweet nuttiness. An essential part of the Tannery’s winter larder, their stout brutishness seduces me.

They may be an underloved vegetable but their charm is so much more appealing than their odorous reputation. They are in season from November to March, so you have time to play. Today I’m roasting them, skin-on but I also love to peel them, poach them in milk and bay, then puree with a little butter. Try this nectar of the gods , you’ll be purring like a cat.

Roast Kohlrabi, blackened sesame and maple syrup. Photograph: Alan Betson

Kohlrabi is an understated pleasure. Weird and wonderful, it resembles Sputnik, a vegetable satellite, orbiting obliviously around us. Its crisp, crunchy texture and mild sweet flavour lands it somewhere between a turnip and a waterchestnut. It makes a wonderful slaw, but here I’m roasting it with olive oil, butter, maple syrup and sesame. It’s often available in Polish shops, they cherish it, if you’re fortunate enough to have one nearby. It’s available all year but especially autumn into spring.

Frivole is a marvel, grown by the pioneering Maria and David Flynn from Ballymakenny Farm in Co Louth. They mostly grow a magical array of lesser known spuds, but these little fellows are a curious wonder. A delightful hybrid of purple Brussel sprouts and kale, they take five months to grow then are picked in the winter months.

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Frivole in brown butter, mushrooms, barley and Cais na tire. Photograph: Alan Betson

I’m serving them here with a gentle barley and mushrooms stew that’s enhanced with some gorgeous Cáis na Tire cheese (you could use cheddar). The browned butter adds depth to any vegetable. I’m using malt vinegar this time, but normally I use a few drops of lemon. If you can’t get frivole, tenderstem broccoli can be used instead.

Recipe: ROASTED JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES WITH BACON AND SPINACH

Recipe: ROAST KOHLRABI WITH MAPLE SYRUP AND SESAME

Recipe: FRIVOLE, MUSHROOM AND BARLEY STEW, CAIS NA TIRE

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