Turnips?? Rutabagas?? Swedes??

Growing up in a large Irish-American family, turnips to me meant that big yellow, waxy bulb that you can't cut without a cleaver. They'd turn up at the holidays--Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas-- prepared by my Grandma Brown. Simply boiled, mashed, and seasoned with butter, salt and pepper. None of us really seemed to like the turnips (and in those days the gathering was large-- with just my parents, siblings, aunts, uncles and cousins we were over 20 at the table(s)). But we all had a dollop of turnips on our plates, to make Grandma happy.
I now know that what we called turnips are really rutabagas-- called 'swedes' in the UK-- a winter root vegetable that is best boiled and mashed. Not so yummy raw. The turnips I get in my CSA share are white and purple, the density of potatoes (as opposed to rocks), and have a distinctive peppery taste. Young specimens can be enjoyed raw. You can treat them a bit like potatoes-- keeping in mind that they do bring their own distinctive flavor to however you are preparing them. I've become quite fond of the turnip -- I liked the recipe for Scalloped Turnips with Apples so much, I had seconds last night. It's a perfect fall dish, warm and creamy, marrying the root vegetable with local apples.

Scalloped Turnips with Apples

1 large or 2 medium white turnips

1 large apple

1 small onion

2 Tablespoons butter

2 Tablespoons flour

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 to 1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Peel the turnips and the apple. Cut them into thin slices. Peel the onion and slice thinly. 

Place half of the turnips in a single layer in the bottom of a gratin or baking dish. Sprinkle half the apples and half the onions over the turnips. Season with salt and pepper. Dot with 1 Tablespoon of butter and sprinkle one Tablespoon of flour over all. Repeat with remaining turnips, apple, onion, butter and flour. 

Pour enough milk over all to come halfway up the vegetables. Cover tightly (use aluminum foil if the baking dish does not have a tight lid) and bake 30 minutes.

Remove cover, return to the oven and bake another 10 minutes, until the turnips are tender and the milk has thickened slightly. Serve hot.

What To Do With TURNIPS

1. Eat them raw: Young fresh turnip is crisp and refreshing with a mild spicy flavor, much like radishes but milder. Julienne it and add it to salad or coleslaw, or as a crisp contrast in chicken salad 

2. Roast them: Either alone or with other root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes. Cut the vegetables into similar sizes and preheat the oven to 375. Toss with melted butter or olive oil and season with salt and pepper (for fancier seasonings there are recipes in the book). Bake for 30 minutes to an hour, depending upon the size of the vegetables, until tender.

3. Braise them: Cut them into cubes and sauté with onions in butter or oil until just changing color. Cover with chicken or vegetable stock and maybe a little white wine and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes. You can then remove the turnips and turn the heat on high to boil the sauce to reduce it. Serve the turnips with the sauce.

4. Boil them: for large turnips, peel and dice and place in a pot. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes or longer, until tender. Drain. Serve cubed, dressed with butter and salt and pepper, or mash with butter.

5. Pressure cook them: Peel and cut into 1-inch thick slices. Cover with 1 cup of water and cook for 3 minutes.

6. Microwave them: Peel and cut into wedges. For each medium turnip add 1/2 tablespoon of water and cook, covered, on high, for 3 minutes.

7. Fry them: Cut into 1/2” strips, and fry in 1-inch of water until crisp, turning often. Serve with ketchup, or mayonnaise mixed with horseradish.

HOW TO STORE TURNIPS:  Do not wash. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 4 months.

Enjoy!!

Wishing Stone Farm:8 Greenhouses, 3 Properties, and Bio-fuel

Biofuel tanks in Cucumber Greenhouse

Eggs. Honey. Salsa, pesto, scones, wholegrain bread, soups, dips, pickles. A backyard designed for children's programs. A chicken coop that looks like a caboose. And a really adorable dog named Baxter. Wishing Stone Farm in Little Compton, Rhode Island is incredibly diverse. Skip Paul has spent most of his adult life sharing his passion for sustainable farming, bringing his certified organic and IPM produce, eggs and honey to urban environments. Local CSA members pick up their share at the farm in the spacious 'pick-up' room, but most members use a credit system at four separate farmers markets throughout Rhode Island. He and his wife, Liz Peckham, also have a certified kitchen where they create and sell products under the label "Babette's Feast" (their Cilantro Lover's Salsa is really yummy!), and have designed an outdoor space for children's programs. They've been farming this land for over 30 years, recently installing greenhouse heaters that run on used car oil to reduce heating costs and recycle waste. Conscientious, innovative, welcoming and fun describe this successful family farm.

Here in Connecticut it is finally feeling like autumn! My share this week included leeks, lettuce, tomatoes, cubanelle and bell peppers, potatoes, corn, fennel and cucumbers. Today I'm making soup with the peppers, fennel, potatoes, and leeks. The house is filled with the aroma of roasting pepper and fennel, and I can't wait for dinner! 

Roasted Fennel, Leek and Pepper Soup

Roasting mellows the flavors of these vegetables, makng them less aggressive. Carrots and an apple  add a little sweetness.

4 cubanelle or other mildly hot peppers (about  4 ounces)

1 medium fennel bulb (about 8 ounces)

several small carrots (about 4 ounces)

1 medium leek

2 medium potatoes (about 12 ounces)

1 apple

canola or other mild vegetable oil

2 cups chicken broth or mild-flavored vegetable broth (you don’t want the veggies in the broth to compete with the flavors of these veggies)

salt and pepper to taste

2 Tablespoons chopped chives (optional)

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Wash all the vegetables and the apple. Trim the fronds off the fennel and cut it in half (reserve the fronds for garnish). Trim the carrots and the leek. Cut them into 2-inch pieces. Cut the apple in half. 

3. Place the vegetables in a baking dish and toss with a tablespoon of the oil. Add the apple to the pan. Cover the pan with foil, and place the pan with the veggies in the oven. Place the potatoes on the oven rack. Roast about an hour until tender.

4. Cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh. Scoop the cooked apple off the peel. Chop the fennel, leek and carrots coarsely. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds and veins. Chop coarsely. Put all in a soup pot. Add 2 cups chicken broth and a bay leaf. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Puree with a hand blender or in a food processor or blender. Return to heat and taste, adding salt and pepper as needed. 

5. Garnish with chopped fennel fronds and chives. Serve with Stilton Crackers.

Stilton Cheese Crackers

If you don't like Stilton, you can substitute cheddar or swiss. These are great with cocktails, too.

2 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 ounces butter

6 ounces Stilton Cheese

2 tablespoons white vinegar

coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 cup cold water

1. Shred the cheese.

2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, cornmeal, baking soda, sugar and salt. Break the butter into small pieces the size of baby peas (you can use your fingers, a pastry blender or 2 knives for this). Stir in the cheese, vinegar and cold water, mixing only until the mixture forms a soft dough. Shape the dough into a ball; wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least an hour or until dough is firm enough to handle (this can be done several days ahead of time).

3. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and roll each piece as thin as you can get it—about a 10-inch square. Cut into squares or triangles, or use a cookie cutter (I have one shaped like a maple leaf that I like to use). 

4. Place on a baking sheet and sprinkle with coarsely ground black pepper. Bake about 10 minutes or until browned and crisp.

I'm really looking forward to autumn- I love this kind of weather, autumn vegetables, autumn colors, autumn clothes, autumn leaves... and cooking autumn soups and stews. 

Have a terrific week!