Recipe - Skirret

Skirret; sium sisarum

Skirret is one of the many hardy perenniel vegetables which are typically
grown as annuals. In Scotland it is known as crummock and in Germany as
Zuckewurzel. A member of the carrot and parsley family, it is cultivated
for the bunch of wrinkled, greyish roots that form from the crown. The
roots have a sweet, tender white flesh which, when cooked like salsify or
parsnips, is highly esteemed in oriental countries.

To prepare skirret for table, simply scrub the roots and cut them into
suitable lengths for cooking. They can be boiled with a bit of salt and
served, like salsify or parsnips, with butter. The roots can be stewed,
braised, baked, batterfried, or creamed. They are also delicious when
mashed with potatoes or served with a cheese sauce. Skirret can be grated
or chopped and add to salads, or dressed in a vinegar marinade and served
alone as salad. The flavor is described as very sweet and unusual, making
this vegetable a fine ingredient in stews, curries and soups.

Source: "Unusual Vegetables: Something New for This Year's Garden" by the
editors of Organic Gardening and Farming
Posted to MMRecipes Digest V4 #070 by Linda Place
placel@worldnet.att.net on Mar 10, 1997.