Swede

Roast Swede

Try: peeling, cutting into wedges, sprinkle with olive oil, and roast in a hot oven till tender and golden, or mixing boiled swede half and half with potato mash, add plenty of butter and salt and pepper.

Winter Root mash (from the Good Food Magazine 2006)

650g parsnips, cut into even chunks
650g swedes cut to the same size
142ml tub soured cream 
1 rounded tbsp creamed horseradish 
2 tbsp fresh thyme

For the topping
50g butter
1 small onion , finely chopped 
50g fresh white breadcrumbs 
fresh thyme
25g parmesan, coarsely grated

Cook the parsnips and swede in boiling water until tender. Drain well, then mash them together using a masher or food processor until reasonably smooth but still with a bit of texture. Stir in the soured cream, horseradish and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Spoon into a buttered shallow ovenproof dish and put to one side. Make the topping. Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the onion for 5-6 minutes, until golden. Mix in the breadcrumbs and stir to brown and crisp a little. Season with salt and pepper and add the thyme. Take the pan off the heat. Spoon the mixture over the top of the mash. Scatter over the parmesan. Bake in a hot oven for 25-30 minutes and serve.

Swede braised in cider

250g/9oz swede, peeled and cut into large chunks
200ml/7fl oz cider
1 chicken stock cube (vegetarians can substitute a vegetable stock cube)
50g/1½oz sultanas
1 tbsp sesame seeds
pinch chilli powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper
50g/1½oz cheddar, grated, to serve

Place all the ingredients except the cheese into a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the swede is tender.To serve, place into a serving dish and sprinkle over the grated cheese.

Winter Minestrone
Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil                                2 cloves garlic
1 small onion                                       2 small carrots
1 small leek                                         ½ swede or 1 parnip
½ white / green cabbage                 1 tin of tomatoes
1 tablespoon tomato puree                 1 litre of vegetable stock
2 handfuls of soup pasta - a quick-cook, small pasta shape will do

Peel the onion and chop finely.  Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion. Sauté gently for 5 minutes.  Peel and crush the garlic. Wash the carrots and chop finely. Add both to the pan and continue to sauté.  Trim the top and roots off the leek. Cut in half lengthways and wash under running water, fanning the layers, to remove all mud and grit. Chop the leek into 1 cm slices. Add to the pan.  Peel the swede and chop into small dice. Add to the pan with the vegetable stock. Simmer gently for 20 minutes, until the root veggies are fairly soft. Shred the cabbage finely and add to the pan. Add the pasta and tomato puree and continue to simmer for 5 minutes.  If your tomatoes are already roughly chopped, add the whole tin to the pan. If they are whole, add the juice to the pan. Then roughly chop the tomatoes and stir into the soup. Continue to simmer until the pasta is cooked. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

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