My first encounter with a swede was a few months ago… and I don’t mean a person from Sweden, but the root vegetable. A swede or rutabaga is also called a Swedish turnip, hence the name. It originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip, and even the leaves can be eaten as with other root vegetables. (My mother makes a delicious green soup traditional in Portugal and Galicia out of the leaves of the parsnip, which are called grelos. Note to self: request this soup over the holidays at my parents house! ;))
Anyway, back to the swede. It’s a very versatile vegetable, and you can make soups, salads, stews, currys and even cakes with it. This time, as I still had some parsnips, I decided on some roasted veggies to accompany our salmon steaks.
CARDAMOM ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES
Ingredients, for 4
- one medium to large swede, peeled and chopped into squares
- 2 parsnips, peeled and sliced lengthwise
- 3-4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced lengthwise
- 3/4 cup olive oil
- 6-8 large mushrooms, halved
- 2 small bok choy, rinsed and leaves separated
- 3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed
- 1 tablespoon raw honey
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
- thyme, optional
