Canmore Community Gardening Society
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Root Veggie Abundance
It’s that time of year when we’re digging up all our root veggies and trying to figure out what to do with this much! Root vegetables do store well for quite a long time, and especially if you have a basement with a cold storage space you can keep a large harvest for several months. http://modernfarmer.com/2015/08/how-to-store-root-crops-for-winter/ However, many of us in Canmore live in tiny condos and apartments without basements, yards, or much storage of any kind. So when we have more than what fits in our fridge we tend to share, which is awesome. In fact, the veggies in these photos came from my neighbour’s Mom’s garden – YUMM! With a little planning, and a day set aside for food prep, you can be eating your veggies well into winter, and reduce food waste.
If you have a deep freeze, you can roast your root vegetables and freeze them for quick meals later on. I don’t advise using potatoes, they don’t tend to freeze as well, but turnips, parsnips, carrots and beets work really well.
Wash, trim and peel as needed. Chop into 1 inch or smaller pieces. Put in a casserole 
dish, toss with a bit of olive oil and roast, covered, between 350-400 degrees, checking once in a while. You can give it a stir if you wish. They are done when they are nicely carmelized and a bit soft. You can also roast your veggies on the barbeque in a thick metal pan. Careful the bottom doesn’t scorch. Freeze in 2 to 3 cup portions for later use in soups, stews, lasagna, casseroles, vegetable pies, moussaka, and anything else you can think of!
Quick And Hearty 10 Minute Soup: in a large saucepan, saute an onion or a couple of shallots until carmelized along with your favorite herb – I like sage – add 2 cups roasted root vegetables and stir a few times, add 3 cups broth, salt and pepper to taste, bring to a boil then puree your soup. Add more broth or water if needed.
Use your favorite carrot cake or muffin recipe to make Root Veggie cake or muffins. Any crunchy sweet root vegetable, whatever you have, can work. This will freeze well. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/carrot-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting-51191810
Beet Pate freezes well too. Freeze it in 1 to 1-1/2 cup portions to thaw for a quick treat or potluck dish. Try using turnips or parsnips or a mixture of veggies. https://www.washingtonpost.com/pb/recipes/beet-walnut-pate/13150/
Canning: beets and carrots are especially popular pickled or canned. http://www.healthycanning.com/canning-vegetables/ http://allrecipes.com/recipe/38109/pickled-beets/ http://www.pickyourown.org/beets_canning.htm
Drying: Dehydrating will give your harvest a long shelf life in your cupboard. Try making your own Root Vegetable Chips as a snack or for garnishing salads and soups. https://www.leaf.tv/articles/how-to-make-crisp-dehydrated-vegetable-chips/ http://www.wellpreserved.ca/air-dried-dehydrated-root-vegetables-inspired-by-faviken/
What are your favorite ways to store your root vegetable harvest?