Turnips. Oh, I can just see your faces, all scrunched in distaste at the mere mention of the word 'turnip.' Now don't be hatin', what did the poor turnip ever do to you? Always getting a bad wrap...well time for the turnip to get a 'redo.'
Admittedly, the turnip hasn't exactly been my 'go to' veg of choice. Periodic appearances in soups and, and well, not much else (assuming this stems from bad memories of eating severely overcooked over-cellared turnips). But with the appearance of the beautiful baby turnips at the Farmers Markets this spring all that is a changin'.
This humble root veggie, and member of the cabbage family, is not only tasty but is a pow-pow-powerhouse of health: the root is low in calories, high in fiber and vitamin C and the leafy green tops are packed with vitamins A, C, K, folate, calcium and lutein (a big preventer of cataracts and cardiovascular disease). Tender with a nice crunch (the older and larger versions tend to have a spongy texture) the baby turnips are sweeter with a less pungent bite. I would liken more to a radish and mild enough to enjoy raw in salads or as part of a crudite platter. And the greens, long a favorite in Southern kitchens, are similar to mustards, they bite you in their raw state but mellow when cooked.
In the Fall turnips are large and recognizable by their purple topped white root. This Spring look for baby turnips that are no larger than 3 inches in diameter, smooth skinned, firm and in an array of colors: white, yellow, orange, pink and red. This past week I found both white and pink baby turnips with perfectly unblemished tender green tops, a plus since I wanted to cook both the root and the greens. I did not expect a big taste difference but you should definitely taste the different varieties -- the white was mellow and sweet and the pink had a radishy bite.
I played around with a number of preparations and found the tiny spring turnips to be quite versatile:
-raw as a crudite (yummy paired with sliced fennel),
-sauteed in butter alone or with sugar snap peas, carrots and radishes,
-as a simple salad - paper thin slices of turnips tossed with warm rice wine vinegar, a bit of honey, pinch of salt and a dash of red pepper,
-roasted with olive oil, butter and some red wine vinegar,
-pureed with milk, butter and thyme.
And since the weather is still feeling more March/April than June, I opted for comfort sides to my roasted chicken last nite: turnips mashed with potatoes and greens sauteed with bacon.
Smashed Turnips & Potatoes
1 lb baby turnips, greens removed, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
1 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces (I used butterball variety from Nichols Farm, yum)
3 T butter
2 T sour cream or yoghurt
1 c. chicken broth or cooking water
salt & pepper to taste
Cook the potatoes and turnips in a large pot of water until tender. Drain the vegetables, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water (if you are not opting to use chicken broth). Put the drained vegetables back into the cooking pot. Add butter, sour cream, broth (or water) and start mashing to your likeness -- some of us prefer chunky mash and others a smoother mash -- your cooking so it is your call. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Labels: Chicago Farmers Market, cooking w/herbs, mustard greens, Nichols Farm, seasonal organic produce, turnips
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