(re)Discovering root vegetables

Winter is the dreariest time to go shopping for vegetables in Ukraine. While there are supermarkets - most of the fresh veggies look sad - not to mention the fact that they are expensive. Frozen veggies were an option - but with the crisis they seem to be one of the many products that were deemed "unprofitable" and taken off the shelves - OR - the price was raised so high that I won't touch them (400 grams of frozen peas for 22 uah!!! -only when I really want chinese noodle casserole . . .)

The vegetables that are available year around are as follows:
Cabbage: starting out a brilliant pale green - as winter wears on the heads progressively become whiter and whiter. We saw them in the cellar in the village where our hut is - they harvest them, put them in the cellar and then when they are ready to eat/ sell them they take them out and peal away layers of blackened leaves. Thankfully - in the market and I don't have to think about the blackend leaves.
Beets: As mentioned in other posts - they are actually tasty - but you have to think ahead if you want it in salad as you have to boil it - let it cool, peel it, and then prepare it.
Carrots: Definately the cheapest option - I am discovering that carrots don't just have to be carrot sticks. Last week I baked them with parsnips, rosemary and potatoes.
Parsnips: A new one for me - and not to be confused with the parsley root or the diakon raddishes. They really add a some tasty variety and are great boiled up/baked with the carrots. I don't really know about their nutritional value - but I personally rate it higher than the cabbage for appeal. Here, they grate them up and add them to salad or soup. (Which is also what they use the parsely root for - anyone know if you can eat paresly root as a side dish on its own?)