Grew salsifies the first time this year, was really excited because we used to have them by the bucketful (actually tinned) in Germany - and they were dirt cheap then too!
Anyway my taste memories of them are: very starchy, sweetish but only softly so, not unlike Jerusalem artichokes. We had them in a white creamy sauce, with salt potatoes (and unfortunately some kind of meatballs)
As mentioned they came tinned i.e. cooked in salt water, and were about 6 - 7 cm long, and not dissimlar to asparagus, just thicker stems.
I fancied I could grow them easy, but from last February (when I sowed them) only 3 (!!!) plants survived my poor soil in Brighton. I took them up and put them in a big container, where they were growing away happily until I got too curious and dug them up. They had loads of arms and were a pain to peel, and I didn't have much left, so I decided to nuke them for a few seconds: they came out crisp and extremely sweet (and nothing like I remembered them)
I might give it another go next year and cook them in salt water.
