Whether it's lack of exposure to it or the fact that it is often the dirtiest vegetable in the shop, Salsify is often widely over looked which is a shame as it's creamy flesh and unique taste are just the thing for palates that are about to go through the winter.

It's common name of Oyster Plant alludes to a similarity with the taste of oysters but it is firmly in the celeriac / parsnip / artichoke camp for me.
The roots look like long, thin, dark parsnips with tufts of greenery on top and will be around 40 centimetres long. Choose roots that are feel heavy for their size and firm. If they're bendy and rubbery they'll have been out of the ground some time and will have started to loose their precious flavour.

We're right, slap bang in the middle of the season for salsify at the moment and that means that while they're a good size and plentiful they're also a very reasonable price.
Of course, better than looking for them in the shops is to grow a few of your own. They're easy to grow from seed, being sown in the early spring and the plant produces attractive purple thistle like flowers that are loved by everything that buzzes in the garden. The trick to long, straight, plump roots is to plant in deep soil that is well riddled to remove stones and debris. Old chimney pots make excellent containers for all root vegetables.
Allow two roots per person for a starter or side, more if they're to be the deserved star of the meal.

At The Mill Tea & Dining Room we serve it as a starter, here's how we do it.

Salsify Gratin.

Roughly dice one medium onion and place in a saucepan with a sprig of thyme, half a small clove of garlic, a bay leaf and 400ml of milk, bring to the simmer but watch it carefully, nothing likes to escape a pan like boiling milk. Cook until the onion is soft and then remove the bay leaf.

In a separate pan, melt a knob of butter the size of half a matchbox and stir in a generous tablespoon of plain flour, cook on a low heat, stirring frequently until the flour smells a little like warm biscuits, then pour over the onion, milk mixture and stir well while cooking until it thickens. Add a good handful of grated cheddar, a pinch of salt and a bit of fresh ground pepper. Puree the lot in a liquidiser or with a stick blender until smooth and set aside while you tackle your Salsify.

Peel your salsify roots and cut up into three or four centimetre lengths, keeping the peeled roots in cold water with a squeeze of lemon will help keep their whiteness. Cook the cut lengths in boiling, salted water until tender and drain, tip them into an ovenproof dish and spoon over the cheesy onion sauce.

Scatter the top with a few breadcrumbs and bake in a fairly hot oven until bubbling and brown on top.

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