My dad has grown a strange vegetable?

Question

he thinks its called a salsify (spelling unknown) it looks like a very hairy parsnip, has anyone herd of it and know how to cook it? some recipe ideas would be nice.

Answer 1

Your spelling is fine!
Yes: I know it. Sometimes it gets called 'the vegetable oyster' -- it's supposed to taste like them (I don't think it does, though!) It has pretty purple flowers and seedheads that look like a cross between a thistle and a giant dandelion. Don't let it seed -- it'll end up growing everywhere!

And you wanted a recipe -- this is tasty.
Oven-Roasted Salsify Soup (4 servings)
Ingredients
1lb 8oz salsify; trimmed and peeled
2 tbs olive oil
good pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
pint-and-a-half of vegetable stock
half-tsp chopped fresh thyme
quarter-pint of milk or single cream

Preheat oven to 400 F.
In medium bowl, toss salsify with oil, salt and pepper. Spread onto baking sheet and roast until tender (about 30 mins).
Chop roasted salsify into 1-inch pieces. Reserve a handful for garnish.
Put remaining salsify into large pot. Add stock and thyme. Simmer over medium heat until heated through and flavours are blended, about 15 mins.
Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor and puree. Return to pot, add the milk or cream and heat through. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with reserved salsify.

I've also found another yummy looking recipe online, though haven't tried it ;p
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womanshour/food/recipe12.shtml
Enjoy!

Answer 2

You can prepare it in any of the following ways.
Stir-frying Salsify
Steaming Salsify
Boiling Salsify
Pan-Frying Salsify
Roasting Salsify
Stewing Salsify

Or here is a great recipe allbeit a little fancy.

Phyllo-Wrapped Salsify with Prosciutto
Makes 4 servings

1 package phyllo dough
1 lemon
4 pieces salsify
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium shallot, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
2 cups heavy cream
2 whole sprigs rosemary
1/4 pound prosciutto, in 8 slices
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons melted butter

1. Defrost the phyllo dough in package in the refrigerator. When defrosted, unfold sheets, place on plastic wrap, and keep moist under a dampened tea towel.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Squeeze the lemon into a bowl of water. Trim the ends and peel the salsify while wearing rubber gloves. Cut logs in half to make eight pieces, and drop into acidulated water (water to which lemon or vinegar has been added).

3. In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the shallot and garlic about five minutes, until transparent and soft. Add white wine to the pan and reduce until almost dry. Lower heat. Add the cream, salsify and rosemary, and cook until the salsify is tender and can be pierced with the tip of a knife.

Answer 3

Salsify (tragopogon porrifolius) is a vegetable whose root and leaves can be used for cooking purposes. It is also known as white salsify, goatsbeard, vegetable oyster, and the oyster plant. The latter two names reflect the root's taste, which when cooked, resembles an oyster. Salsify is a member of the sunflower family and its varieties are named French Blue Flowered and the Mammoth Sandwich Island. It is cultivated in Central and Southern Europe, the United States, and in Asia (Taiwan), and is said to have originated in the Mediterranean. Its root is similar in appearance to a thin parsnip. Additionally, it is long in length and is cream or white in color. From the top of the salsify, green, grass-like shoots emerge. These leaves are edible and can be used in salads, for example. Salsify is a hearty plant that requires approximately 150 days to grow. However, it can be left in the ground during the winter months and will still flourish. When cultivated for a few years, salsify will also produce stalks that bear purple flowers.

recipies for it are : http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/salsaf08.html

Answer 4

SALSIFTY
common name for a tall, narrow-leaved biennial (Tragopogon porrifolius) of the family Asteraceae (aster family), native to S Europe but now naturalized and sometimes growing as a weed in North America. Known also as purple goatsbeard, oyster plant, and vegetable oyster, it is widely cultivated for its long edible root, oysterlike in flavor. The roots may be left in the ground through winter and dug as needed. The related meadow salsify or yellow goatsbeard (T. pratensis) is sometimes called John-go-to-bed-at-noon because the flower heads of salsifies close at midday. It is similar to the common salsify but has a large, flat head of yellow (rather than purple) flowers; it is seldom cultivated. The common name goatsbeard–a translation of the Greek generic name Tragopogon–refers to the long, feathery, dandelionlike hairs on the seeds. Among other plants with similar names are an ornamental Eurasian perennial, Aruncus sylvester, called goatsbeard but related to the spiraea and usually cultivated under that name, and the black salsify (Scorzonera hispanica), a composite with an edible root like that of the common salsify. Salsify is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Asterales, family Asteraceae

Answer 5

Skirret - a species of water parsnip not available in this country and no longer cultivated on a large scale in Europe. Gerard declares that "these roots [may] be eaten boiled, with vinegar, salt, and a little oyle, after the manner of a sallad, and oftentimes they be fried in oyle and butter, and also dressed after other fashions, according to the skill of the cooke, and the taste of the eater."

Answer 6

Give this site a look. BTW, good guess on the spelling.

http://www.answers.com/salsify

It looks like you have some recipes above so I'll move on now.

Have a good day and happy cooking.

Answer 7

http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/salsaf08.html


enjoy!

Answer 8

mmmm yummy. If he doesnt like it, he can send them to me! lol here is a link with some info
http://www.consciouschoice.com/2002/cc1501/cooking1501.html

Answer 9

Don't cook it!!!! Get him to see a doctor straight away

Answer 10

Never heard of it...sorry.