The underground vegetables

[Pebbles16]

We have been given a massive swede (of the vegetable rather than handsome Nordic man variety) and I thought I'd try it again but...bleurgh. DH seems to like it - so much soup will be made.

Got me thinking about the underground vegetables:
Onions and garlic: necessary for most dishes, not something I would eat raw but include them in most dishes
Ginger and turmeric are very nice additions
Fennel, radish - yum
Jerusalem artichokes, turnip and celeriac - yum. Add asafoetida to avoid excess gas
Beetroot and carrots are bearable - only cold though
Potatoes - largely unpleasant unless in crisp or chip format (mash makes retch - too many school dinners)
Swede and parsnip are the works of the devil. Overly sulphurous and excessively sweet.

Any thoughts on the underground veg?

Swede mashed with salt, black pepper and loads of butter is the food of the gods!

Carrots are best roasted. As are potatoes, thinking about it. And onions, and parsnips. I've never tried roasted swede though.

Leeks - sautéed in butter with some cream and S&P - lush

I will try this with rest of the HUGE swede... DH will eat it I am sure and I will give it a go. Just something about the smell that puts me off

Apparently not a real root veg. Love leeks though.

Swede makes such a great topping for pies instead of mash.

They're all brilliant.

Steamed swede is very different to mashed, it's lighter despite still using butter and sea salt.

And then there's all the other veg that isn't traditionally British fare. All great.

YABU unreasonable about beetroot. A proper home grown beetroot roasted paired with a Lorraine quiche is something many man has been deprived of.

If you want to know something wild whilst in your discovery of fruit and veg… a pineapple is a berry. And a raspberry is not.

Sorry but swede, onions, beetroot and especially fennel are not underground. Swede is about 1/3 underground and the others might start off underground but their stem swells above ground and by harvest time, it's only their roots that are underground.

I grate beets and carrots when I have decent harvests and put them in vinegar and in the fridge and have fresh additions to salads available at a moments notice all summer long.

Mashed carrot and swede with butter, salt and loads of white (not black) pepper.

There was a thread a few weeks ago about how to microwave swede without chopping or peeling. Just microwave for 15 minutes and scoop it out.

Swede and broccoli curry
https://www.theguardian.com/food/2026/jan/10/vegan-roast-swede-purple-sprouting-broccoli-curry-recipe-meera-sodha

I am so disappointed that this thread isn't about vegetables who are helping vegetable airmen escape from occupied France.

I love mashed parsnip and sweet potato, with butter and S&P.

like the munch bunch? I was imagining veg being grown in tube stations in hydroponic systems which isn’t so different to the lovely gardens/flower beds you get on railway/ground level platforms and wildlife shelters in disused tube stations and actually there are proper grocers in some tube stations I’m sure but maybe not grown there- yet 😋 bit of a London transport geek me

My DH makes mash with potato, swede and carrots. It means the swede flavour isn't so dominant as if it was on its own. Might be worth trying?

Potatoes are the food of the gods - delicious, versatile, easy to cook and nutritious

I've never met a vegetable that I didn't love.

I particularly love swede made into a dauphinoise, rather than using potatoes. It's incredible served with gammon.

that sounds delicious Bambina

I cube swede, c.1cm, boil/steam until only just cooked, then fry in butter with s&p + a little nutmeg until lightly browned.

Per another MN thread I am on, cooked swede freezes well. I agree with poster upthread that it needs heavy seasoning.

Celeriac is fab, incidentally!