Salsify

Salsify, also called oyster plant, vegetable oyster or purple salsify, is a biennial herb of the daisy family native to the Mediterranean, grown for its thick, white taproot, which can reach fifteen to thirty centimeters long. The cooked root carries a flavor often compared to oysters, giving the plant its common alternate name, and every part of the plant is edible, including the leafy shoots and the open purple flowers as well as the root itself. Salsify is sown in spring, grows narrow, grasslike leaves in its first year, and its root can then be harvested through the following winter, traditionally boiled, mashed or fried much like other root vegetables.