THE CHINESE WATER GARDEN - Growing Chinese Vegetables in Your Own Backyard - page 169

CULINARY USES
You can find taro root in the fresh-produce department of markets that cater to Spanish
and Chinese consumers. The root is about the size of a large white potato, brownish
with a rough, thick skin. It's not particularly attractive, but it turns into a delicious ve-
getable that some gourmets consider superior to our white potato.
INSTEAD OF POTATOES . Taro can be baked like a potato and served with a pat of butter.
You can substitute taro in any potato recipe with good results; they're especially tasty
in a good rich stew. Try taro pancakes. Make them just like potato pancakes; they're
especially good with a spoonful of yogurt over them.
TRADITIONAL ASIAN-STYLE . Peel, slice, and cook until tender. Meanwhile make a
dressing in your blender with toasted sesame seeds, rice vinegar, and a little sugar. Add
enough water to make it slightly liquid, heat, and pour over the hot taro.
IN CUSTARD . To make this very popular taro dish, use coconut milk, 3 eggs, sugar, ½
cup mashed taro root, and lime juice, following any standard custard recipe.
Water Chestnut
M A T I , M A T AI
Eleocharis dulcis
(color photo, page xvi)
Anyone who's eaten Chinese food knows water chestnuts. Supermarkets carry them
canned and packed in water. Unfortunately, canned water chestnuts are a pale version
of the real thing; both crispness and flavor suffer in the canning process. With an edible
water garden, you can have all the fresh water chestnuts you choose to grow. They are
an exceptionally easy crop and multiply rapidly.