Oct. 08--The earth is giving up some of its most flavorful gifts these days, though you may find them less glamorous than, say those pretty greens you've been munching all summer.
Root vegetable have arrived at farmers markets, and their colorful array was on display at the Green City Market in Lincoln Park this week when we visited: parsnips, many colors of potatos, turnips and radishes.
And yes, carrots. That's where we found Beth Eccles of Green Acres Farm in North Judson, Ind., with piles of carrots with names such as Purple Haze, Sweet Snax and Cosmic Purple.
She says these three are some of the sweetest with a good carrot flavor. "If you pick them up at the farmers market, they've just been pulled from the earth," she says.
Eccles likes to offer a mix of these brightly colored carrots as part of a relish tray or salad. But she also cuts them lengthwise, brushes the cut sides with olive oil, then sprinkles them with sea salt before placing them face down in a skillet and cooking them slightly to soften before serving with a sprinkling of fresh herbs.
Of course, carrots (and their root vegetable cousins) are versatile enough to show up in a number of dishes, including slaws made with raw carrots or beets. They're also delicious in recipes such as a roasted carrot and sweet potato tzimmes. For these recipes and more, go to chicagotribune.com.
