About growing and transforming roots

Growing roots has been on my mind lately. It’s a complicated matter when you’ve been an expat for nine years, moving from place to place. How do you reconcile your old familiar life with your new, also familiar life?

I don’t know the answer yet but maybe in a quest to find it I’ve decided to grow roots. To transplant my life somewhere with solid ground and natural surroundings. In my vision I’m not cutting ties, I’m growing roots in one place and having mycelium-like connections with everywhere I’ve been, with all my old (and familiar) lives.

Growing roots takes time, nutrients and dedication.

Growing roots is an act of understanding, of introspection, an on-going meditation. It’s about seeing the surroundings and the community as an outer, indispensable organ that you didn’t even know you needed to survive. 

Growing roots is about forming meaningful relations with the natural world around you. 

Growing roots is a process, it slows you down, and I’ve been needing to slow down my inner time. Be a part of time.

Growing roots is becoming a part of something bigger, becoming part of an ecosystem and I’ve been needing to be part of an ecosystem again. 

Everything changes when you grow roots. You change. you adjust. You give. You take. You change your pace, your perspective, your status quo. And I’ve been needing a change.

Poached and seared turnip with whipped plant yoghurt, umami beet reduction and sage oil

This dish is about transforming root vegetables but also about preserving and using their qualities. Turnips soak up flavours from the umami beet stock and then they are pan seared to caramelise the naturally present sugars in the brassica family. They are served with a cashew and white bean whipped yoghurt, beet wine reduction and sage pumpkin seed oil for a fresh touch. 

Poached and seared turnip with whipped plant yoghurt, sage oil and umami beet reduction

Method:

Sage pumpkin seed oil:

• 2-3 sprigs of sage

• pumpkin seed oil

Blend and strain through fine mesh. Reserve.

Round turnips (cunt into 1 cm thick rounds or desired shape)

Beet stock:

• beet

• water

• wine

• dehydrated boletus mushrooms

• kombu seaweed

• salt

• tamari/soy sauce

Blend the beet with the water and strain into a saucepan. Add the other ingredients, bring everything to a simmer and let infuse for 30 min to an hour. Simmer the turnips with the stock for about 20 minutes or until you can easily pierce with a knife but still have a firm texture. Take out and pat dry. Ser on both sides in a hot pan with a little olive oil. 

Take out the mushrooms and the seaweed from the stock and let it reduce to about ¼ cup. Reserve.

Whipped yoghurt 

• Cashew and white bean curd fermented with yoghurt cultures (alternatively use store bought almond or soy yoghurt)

• Coconut oil (deodorised)

• Shio koji or light miso

• Salt and lemon/apple cider vinegar to taste

Strain the yoghurt overnight in the fridge until you get a very firm and creamy consistency. Add to blender with the rest of the ingredients and blend until fluffy and everything is incorporated. Store in the fridge.