Savoring Salsify

Ever since I heard about salsify, I've been curious to try it. Popular with Thomas Jefferson, and often served at White House dinners during his Presidential tenure, the root vegetable is also called the oyster plant because its taste is often compared to oysters. Despite my best efforts to get my hands on some of it over the years, salsify was no where to be found in Indianapolis or in any of the cities I used to travel to on business so we had to grow it ourselves. Two years of failed efforts didn't dampen my enthusiasm and this year (they say the third time is a charm) we were rewarded with a bumper crop of beautiful salsify.

Salsify, with a texture very similar to carrots or parsnips, can be prepared in a number of ways. Once peeled, it should be placed in cold lemon water to prevent the ivory roots from turning brown. The vegetable can be roasted, boiled, mashed, or sauteed and used in soups or stews.

My menu plan for our first harvest was a salsify chowder from a recent issue of Food & Wine magazine. As we were making it the other evening, I was so excited. I was finally going to see if it really did have an oyster like taste. I know, the recipe uses oysters so how can you tell if it really is the vegetable or just taste by association? Well, before we added the salsify to the soup, we tried it. The salsify was delicious but (SIGH) it certainly didn't taste like oysters to me. A lovely unique taste. But nothing like an oyster!

Despite the small let down, we will grow it again. It's a delicious root vegetable that can stay in the ground all winter and be harvested as needed. If you ever get to try it, let me know what it tastes like to you. Maybe my palate was just a bit off that day. Or maybe rumors of its oyster like taste have been historically highly exaggerated.

Photos: Salsify from our garden and oyster salsify chowder