Crisp, earthy radishes grow underground before being yanked up by their (also edible) leaves. If you aren’t fond of the root’s pungent peppery taste, a quick sauté, steam, or braise will temper the flavor.

If you missed Root Source: Radish, make sure you sign up to get the next one in your inbox. You can get Cookthink updates on Facebook by becoming a fan. Finally, don’t forget to submit your most inventive recipes to Root Source Challenge #40: Turkey. Entries are due by noon on Tuesday, November 18, 2008.

(Thanks to The Lisa Ekus Group for providing us with books for the Root Source Challenge.)

Whether it’s brined and roasted whole for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or ground for summery Fourth of July burgers, nothing says holiday quite like turkey. What are your tricks for making this mild-flavored fowl taste exciting?

Send us your best turkey recipes. Our favorite will be featured in the Root Source and published on Cookthink.com. The author will receive a copy of Easy Indian Cooking.

Submissions are due by 12pm EST, Tuesday, November 18, 2008.

Send us an email to rootsourcechallenge [AT] cookthink [DOT] com with your name, email address, blog URL and a permalink to the recipe. Please put “Root Source Challenge #40: Turkey” in the subject line of your email. Click here for the complete rules and to see past winners. Good luck!

(Thanks to The Lisa Ekus Group for providing us with books for the Root Source Challenge.)

Made from pressed apples (like Baldwin and McIntosh), cider is just juice that hasn’t been filtered. Autumn days make us crave cider’s tart, tangy, thirst-quenching quality.

Apple Cider brought the Root Source Challenge recipes streaming in. Roasted vegetables and cider bread were truly tempting, but our favorite gem was a recipe for apple cider jelly. Congratulations to Culinaria Eugenius!

If you missed Root Source: Apple Cider, don’t forget to sign up so you get the next one! You can also become a Facebook fan and get Root Source Challenge updates there. And be sure to send us your entries for next week’s Root Source Challenge #38: Pumpkin. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday, November 4, 2008.

(Thanks to The Lisa Ekus Group for providing us with books for the Root Source Challenge.)

The French like to eat radishes fresh, their earthy, bitter crunch offset with a bit of sweet butter and salt. Pickled radishes are a common Korean condiment; in India, it’s radish chutney.

Share your secret for preparing radishes with the Root Source Challenge. Our favorite recipe will be featured in the Root Source and published on Cookthink.com. The author will receive a copy of The The Science of Good Food.

Submissions are due by 12pm EST, Tuesday, November 11, 2008.

Send us an email to rootsourcechallenge [AT] cookthink [DOT] com with your name, email address, blog URL and a permalink to the recipe. Please put “Root Source Challenge #39: Radish” in the subject line of your email. Click here for the complete rules and to see past winners. Good luck!

(Thanks to The Lisa Ekus Group for providing us with books for the Root Source Challenge.)

What makes brown sugar brown? Molasses. That’s what. While raw sugar (demerara and turbinado) comes by its color naturally, brown sugar is nothing more than good old white sugar tarted up with a bit of molasses. The water in molasses adds the moisture to brown sugar that makes it ideal for baked goods, giving them a crumbly texture and a deeper flavor than regular granulated white sugar.

It was no surprise to us that brown sugar inspired a range of recipes, from blondies to a brown sugary crisp and sweet potato pikelets. The real winner was an autumnal apple upside down cake. Congratulations Wine Imbiber!

If you missed Root Source: Brown Sugar, get your act together and sign up to get the next one! Or, become a fan on Facebook and get Root Source Challenge updates there. Finally, don’t forget to send us recipes for Root Source Challenge #37: Apple Cider. Entries are due by noon on Tuesday, October 28, 2008.

(Thanks to The Lisa Ekus Group for providing us with books for the Root Source Challenge.)

Pumpkin has got to be one of the most versatile foods around. This time of year, pumpkins appear in everything from stews and breads to pies. As a bonus, around October 31st, pumpkins grow faces and spook little children in the night. (Or, in an election year, help fire up the base.)

Tell us how you prepare your pumpkin. Our favorite recipe will be featured in the Root Source and published on Cookthink.com. The author will receive a copy of 300 Sensational Soups.

Submissions are due by 12pm EST, Tuesday, November 4, 2008.

Send us an email to rootsourcechallenge [AT] cookthink [DOT] com with your name, email address, blog URL and a permalink to the recipe. Please put “Root Source Challenge #38: Pumpkin” in the subject line of your email. Click here for the complete rules and to see past winners. Good luck!

(Thanks to The Lisa Ekus Group for providing us with books for the Root Source Challenge.)

Richly flavored and intensely aromatic, these golden-orange threads are the dried stigma of the saffron crocus. The difficulty in harvesting makes saffron the most expensive spice on the planet — worth more than its weight in gold!

This week’s Root Source Challenge brought us a wealth of saffron recipes, from veal tongue and bouillabaisse to saffron shortbread. The big winner was a recipe for pumpkin-saffron macarons. Congratulations to Tartelette!

If you missed this week’s Root Source: Saffron, be sure to sign up to receive next week’s. You can also get updates about the Root Source Challenge by becoming a fan on Facebook. And don’t forget to send us your recipes for Root Source #36: Brown Sugar. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday, October 21, 2008.

(Thanks to The Lisa Ekus Group for providing us with books for the Root Source Challenge.)

While apple juice tastes pure and sweet, apple cider is murkier and more mysterious, with a tart, tangy thirst-quenching quality.

Share your most creative recipes involving apple cider with the Root Source Challenge. Our favorite will be featured in the Root Source and published on Cookthink.com. The author will receive a copy of The Sommelier’s Guide to Wine.

Submissions are due by 12pm EST, Tuesday, October 28, 2008.

Send us an email to rootsourcechallenge [AT] cookthink [DOT] com with your name, email address, blog URL and a permalink to the recipe. Please put “Root Source Challenge #37: Apple Cider” in the subject line of your email. Click here for the complete rules and to see past winners. Good luck!

(Thanks to The Lisa Ekus Group for providing us with books for the Root Source Challenge.)

Lager is by far the most popular type of beer in the world. Crisp, nonchalant and easily swillable, lager is celebrated each autumn in Munich at Oktoberfest.

For this week’s Root Source Challenge, the lager recipes poured in. Recipes for beer pancakes and squash and lager soup made it a tough call, but the winner was this irresistible recipe for pepper jack and lager grissini. Congratulations to Lynne at Cafe Lynnylu!

If you missed this week’s Root Source: Lager email, be sure to sign up. You can also get updates about Root Source Challenges by being a fan on Facebook. And don’t forget to send us your recipes for Root Source #35: Saffron. Submissions are due by noon on Tuesday, October 14, 2008.

(Thanks to The Lisa Ekus Group for providing us with books for the Root Source Challenge.)

What makes sugar brown? Light or dark brown sugar is just refined white sugar that has been mixed with varying amounts of molasses — which darkens it and adds moisture. (Raw sugar gets its similar color and taste from processed sugarcane residue.)

Brown sugar helps chocolate chip cookies stay moist, and adds a caramel sweetness to apple pie and barbecue sauce.

Send your best brown sugar recipes to the Root Source Challenge. Our favorite will be featured in the Root Source and published on Cookthink.com. The author will receive a copy of Julie Hasson’s The Complete Book of Pies.

Submissions are due by 12pm EST, Tuesday, October 21, 2008.

Send us an email to rootsourcechallenge [AT] cookthink [DOT] com with your name, email address, blog URL and a permalink to the recipe. Please put “Root Source Challenge #36: Brown Sugar” in the subject line of your email. Click here for the complete rules and to see past winners. Good luck!