Recipe is courtesy of Loubagh’s Dahlias
It interests me to know that dahlias were a part of the food chain in regions they are indigenous too. As a tuber and root, there is some starch and nutrition much like a potato. Considering the abundance of tubers that are produced by each plant, this would have been a welcome staple that could be accessed in winter when other food sources may not be as abundant. These plants originate from Central America in regions that are not tropical, but seasonal.
Curiosity got the better of me and being a waste not want not mindset, I felt sad about all the blind tubers that a plant has. While I have composted those nutrients back into the soil for many years, this year I wanted to see what the hype was in eating tubers.
I’ve learned that these tubers slice and sauté well, but are not good for mashing. Many I’ve been in contact say they are tasty in stir fry. I have a sweet tooth, so I tried a variation of zucchini bread.
Things to know. The tubers are wet (I mean they do run our water bills up) so it’s best to peel and use the tuber immediately. They store well in a cool place or crisper until you are ready to use. I also found rounder tubers are easy to peel than some of the funky shaped ones. Grating was easier than a potato, but also released a lot more water (like grating an onion or apple when making latkes).
If your are feeling adventurous, and have tubers around or are starting to pull your tubers from storage and note some are blind, this could be a fun way to celebrate NOT having an active eye.
Cheers and Happy Gardening.
