Although he has a leaning towards traditional vegetables, the “tremendous climate” in the southeastern corner of Tasmania is the reason Glenn Moore grows the traditional winter-warmer soup vegetables: swedes, carrots and parsnips.
Glenn and his wife Dinah farm near Scottsdale, but only about 20% of the product that goes through their G.A. and D.R. Moore packing sheds is grown by them, the rest is supplied by other growers of the local, mainland and export markets.
Swedes are more popular in Tasmania than any other state, says Glenn, but they’re picking up on the fashion stakes as a winter vegetable for rustic stews and soups. And, contrary to what you might think, bigger swedes are more tender than the little ones. “The seed all went into the ground at the same time, the big ones have just grown faster,” said Glenn. Whatever their size, a frost while they are in the ground sweetens them up.
Glenn says Emperator, the long carrots that taper to a point, are sweeter than the one shoppers seem to favour, Nance, with a rounded end. But it’s parsnips he rates as a “magnificent” vegetable (while relegating turnips to “cattle tucker”).
Plain steamed or boiled root vegetables, parsnips and carrots mashed together with some butter (at about 25% parsnips) and vegetable soup (as long as the vegetables are chunky rather than pureed) all rate with Glenn, but his favourite way to cook winter root vegetables is whole or in big pieces in the water around a joint of silverside for the last 20 minutes it takes to cook the meat. Try this served with some whipped cream stirred through with grated horseradish, salt and pepper - the sort of food that compensates for winter’s cold and dark.
Recipe: Couscous with Roasted Root Vegetables
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