"roots" news and stories

Although it's a few years old, a Christian Science Monitor story about Peru's diverse yet dwindling variety of tubers is still fascinating. In a scenario not uncommon to "heirloom" produce, the thousands of varieties of potatoes developed by Andean farmers over the last 8,000 years are falling out of favor due to newer varieties that are cheaper and easier to grow. The CSM cites a few varieties whose names translate to things like "flat like a cow's tongue," "like a woman with the colors of a condor's neck," and "makes the daughter-in-law weep." The latter apparently refers to a very bumpy potato used to test a prospective wife's peeling skills. The International Potato Center, based in Peru, is one of the main forces trying to conserve the region's tubers. Their Potato Park is one example. According to the CSM, the Center also maintains a gene bank with over 8,000 different potato specimens, half of which come from the Andes.

Some places, parts of the deep South and at least a few spots in Australia, for example, often use the word “shallots” to apply to green onions, or scallions. Though the white portion of a green onion has a similar flavor, it is not as subtle or delicate as the flavor of a shallot.

Shallots are bulbs that look like a cross between garlic and onion, which is remarkable given that their taste is similar to a sweet onion with a hint of garlic. They have a golden or reddish-brown, papery skin, like that of an onion that should be smooth when fresh and a slightly pink interior. The bulbs can sometimes be divided into "cloves", but when a recipe refers to a number of shallots, it is referring to the whole bulbs.

Fresh shallots should be slightly firm to the touch, with no soft spots. Smaller shallots will be slightly sweeter than larger ones. The complex flavor of a shallot makes it a popular ingredient in French cooking. Shallots caramelize like onions, but can become bitter over too high a heat, like garlic does. Approximately three shallots will equal one medium onion, in terms of size. Try substituting shallots in place of the garlic and onions in a recipe to compare the flavor, or try one of these recipes:

• Crispy Potato Cake topped with Caramlized Shallots
• Grilled Steak with Spicy Shallot Sauce
• Balsamic Glazed Garlic and Shallot Tart
• Shallot Compote