Sometimes I go a little crazy at the grocery store and pick up a fruit or vegetable that I have no idea what to do with. Admittedly, I’ve been doing this so long that there aren’t many produce items left that I’m not familiar with, but I recently came across one: Jicama.
I had seen jicama used before on the TV show, “Top Chef,” and I knew that it was a crunchy vegetable, similar to water chestnuts. It comes from Mexico and has a crunchy, watery texture. What I didn’t know was how I was going to cook it, as it’s typically eaten raw (dipped in salsa or lime juice) or in salads, which I wasn’t in the mood for. Naturally, I turned to the Googles, which let me know that Jicama could be roasted much like potatoes and turnips.
Roasted Jicama
Serves 2
One large jicama
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Dried herbs of your choosing
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Begin preparing the jicama by peeling it with a knife or potato peeler. It’s easiest if you slice off the top and bottom of the vegetable, and then peel the skin away. Chop it into bite-sized pieces and spread it out on a roasting pan. Drizzle the jicama with olive oil, and then dust it with salt and pepper. Roast the jicama for one hour, until it has soften and turned a golden brown.
Remove the pan from the oven and place the jicama into a bowl. Top it off with another tablespoon of olive oil and your choice of herbs. Try an oregano-basil-thyme medly for an Italian-inspired dish, or chili powder-cayenne pepper-and cumin for a south-of-the-border flare.
