Comfort Food

Went to the farmers market yesterday and picked up some root vegetables. Back in San Diego some of these were hard to find, but luckily that's not the case here in New York. I find root vegetables to be grossly underutilized. Back home (in Romania), many people fall back on these economical vegetables because they are versatile and very filling. I feel like the palette here in the US is more refined (not speaking of the super size burger crowd) and everyone is focusing on fresh, light fare. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with that, but especially if you are on a budget, you'll get a lot more for your money if you skip the asparagus and buy a good old parsnip or celery root. Of course, knowing what to do with that is another matter...
Since I just moved to NY a week ago, I don't have my usual spices or ingredients to work with, so I've relied on good old salt to flavor my meals. Surprisingly everything has come out pretty good. In fact, I feel like my cooking has reverted back to my grandmother's flavors because of it. The root vegetables have a starring role in tonight's chicken soup. Call it vegetable soup with a drumstick in it. I combined carrots, potatoes, parsnip, parsely root and parsley with the chicken, salt and water and am letting all the natural flavors marry. The apartment smells pretty darn good right now, just like my grandma's kitchen. Hoping it will taste just as good. I'll let you know tomorrow.