It’s turnip season. Who cares, right? Well, maybe we would be lining up to buy them if we knew what to do with them. The humble vegetable is worthy of a second look.
Wash greens and roots well. Some suggest soaking the greens in a little salty water. One turnip website from the United Kingdom notes that if you boil them, add a little sugar to tame the scent and add baking soda to reduce bitterness.
Look for fresh turnips. Avoid the very large, wrinkled and blemished turnips. I selected medium to small turnips. The smaller white turnips, such as Tokyo Cross or White Lady, are good in salads. Use them as you would use radishes.
They would be especially delicious thinly sliced in a warm spinach salad with a bacon dressing.
Larger turnips tend to have a woody skin. It is best to peel them. No need to peel the smaller turnips that are less than 2 inches in diameter.
For the best, or longest, storage, leave on the taproot and about an inch of the stem. Keep them covered in the coolest part of the refrigerator or your root cellar. They store well, but I like to eat them within two weeks. Greens are best if cooked within a couple of days of buying them.
Folks from the Southern United States seem to have a better appreciation for both turnip greens and turnip root — though most recipes seem to include a little rendered bacon fat or ham hocks. Nothing wrong with that smoky flavor, but turnips don’t need pork to be delicious. As bitter or radish-like as they might seem when tasted raw, they seem to mellow with cooking and generally take on the flavor of the herbs, spices and other foods added to the mix.
Turnips and their greens also are packed with nutrients, containing high levels of vitamin C — that wonder-working antioxidant — potassium and calcium. The greens are rich in beta carotene and lutein. At only 28 calories per cup, turnips are a boon for calorie counters.
I’ve started adding them, along with the potatoes, onions and carrots, to soups, stews and casseroles. At Thanksgiving, we use them in our standby carrot, parsnip and turnip purée.
On a rainy afternoon, I added diced turnips to a carrot, olive, raisin and chicken tagine. My tagine was so chock-full of vegetables that I had to transfer it to a Dutch oven. The Dutch oven worked fine, so you don’t have to own a tagine to make the recipe that follows. Like potatoes, the turnips soak up the rich flavors of the Moroccan stew.
Turnips also go well in pot roast or simply in a mix with other oven-roasted vegetables. Glaze them with honey or maple syrup — a recipe follows — or dice them with carrots and winter squash and place them on an oiled baking sheet. Brush them with olive oil, sprinkle with fresh chopped rosemary and salt. Then roast them at 500 degrees for five to 10 minutes. After they’re on the serving platter, sprinkle them with balsamic vinegar and a little Parmesan.
I also tried soaking turnips in yogurt overnight, then sautéing them on the stove top with some tomatoes, cumin seeds and a little cayenne. My version, which I’ve included, doesn’t have a yogurt sauce because I didn’t have a lot of yogurt on hand. It was still good and easy to put together. Just remember to soak the turnips for some hours. If you want more saucy turnips, add more yogurt when you soak the turnips.
I’d like to offer a tip of the turnip top to Southerners who use a little pig fat when they cook their greens. I get it. Greens, in particular, taste good with a little bacon. And I admire a ham-hock-based stew that utilizes the whole plant, root and leafy tops.
Turnips go especially well with potatoes, so try a turnip-potato cake — which is actually just a giant hash-brown pancake. I paired it with some Tokyo Cross turnip greens from Jim Thies at the Veggie Patch at the Columbia Farmers Market. I sautéed the greens with guanciale — bacon works, too — and garlic. If you want to blow the house down, top with soft poached eggs.
Last week at the Columbia Farmers Market, I found two types of turnips: small, white, tender turnips and the purple-topped turnips. I was assured there would be more varieties in the coming weeks. It’s turnip season, and I’ll be rooting around for them — or lining up for them, if need be.
CHICKEN TAGINE WITH TURNIPS, CARROTS, RAISINS AND OLIVES
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped (I used red because they are good for you)
1 tablespoon ras el hanout (available in small bags at local world markets)
4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half, or a 14-ounce can of drained plum tomatoes or late-season green tomatoes
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
6 bone-in chicken thighs
Juice of one lemon
Flesh and rind of 1/2 preserved lemon, chopped (optional)
1 bunch or about 2 cups organic carrots, chopped
2 cups turnips, diced (a medium purple-topped turnip)
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup cracked green olives
In the bottom of a flameproof tagine or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and ras el hanout and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomatoes and hot pepper flakes and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add chicken, meaty side down, sliding thighs around and moving vegetables away from the bottom so the flesh is on the bottom of the tagine. Cook about 5 minutes or until chicken is browned on the meaty side. Using tongs, turn chicken over. Add lemon juice and chopped lemon rind and flesh, if using. Add carrots and turnips to tagine. Cover with lid, reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring once or twice, for 25 minutes. Stir in olives and raisins. Replace lid and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until raisins are plump, vegetables are tender and juices run clear when chicken is pierced with a fork. Serve with cous cous.
— This recipe was adapted from “150 Best Tagine Recipes” by Pat Crocker. The original recipe used cabbage, not carrots.
TURNIPS WITH YOGURT AND TOMATOES
1 cup plain yogurt
2 medium turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons peanut or canola oil
1 shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
1 small leak, chopped, light-green and white part only
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 tomatoes, peeled, cored and chopped, or 1 small can chopped tomatoes, drained
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (to taste)
Put yogurt and 1 teaspoon salt in a large glass or ceramic bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add turnips and stir until well-coated. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 3 hours or overnight. Drain turnips and yogurt in a strainer set over a medium bowl — I didn’t have much to drain. Transfer turnips to another bowl. Set yogurt and turnips aside separately.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and leeks and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add cumin seeds and turnips and cook, stirring often, until shallots and turnips begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, reserved yogurt and cayenne and cook, stirring occasionally, until turnips are soft when pierced, about 10 minutes.
Servings: 2 to 3 as a side dish
— Adapted from Saveur.com
SAUTéED TURNIP GREENS
1 bunch turnip greens, washed, coarsely chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 small slice of guanciale, a slice of bacon or a tablespoon of olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Wash greens well, cut off stems. Dry. In a large skillet, sauté the guanciale or bacon until it renders fat. Or heat olive oil. Add garlic, stir in medium heat, then drop in the greens and stir over medium-high heat. Remove from heat when they are wilted and tender. Salt and pepper to taste.
Servings: 2
TURNIP AND POTATO CAKE
This might be easier to prepare if you make it in smaller batches, like hash brown pancakes. The large “cake” tended to stick to the bottom of the pan the first time I tried it. I had better luck with cast iron. Make sure you get enough oil on the bottom of the pan, and shake the pan a couple of times to avoid sticking. This cake is very tasty, even if you break the cake and end up with a plate of messy hash browns.
2 medium turnips, peeled, or 6 to 8 small turnips (no need to peel)
2 large baking potatoes
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
In a food processor, coarsely grate the turnips; transfer them to a bowl. Then coarsely grate the potatoes and transfer them to a bowl of cold water. Let soak for 1 minute. Drain the potatoes and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Add the potatoes to the turnips. Season with salt and pepper and toss well to combine. In a medium nonstick skillet or cast-iron pan, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat. Add turnip-potato mixture to the pan and press to pack evenly. Cover and cook, occasionally shaking the pan so the cake doesn’t stick, until the bottom is golden-brown, about 20 minutes. Invert a plate on top of the cake and flip the pan over to turn the cake out. I used a very large spatula to flip it. Add more oil to the pan and slide the cake in, browned side up. Cook until the bottom is golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Invert a serving plate over the pan, then flip the pan over to release the cake. Cut into quarters and serve immediately.
Tip from food writer Paula Wolfert: Occasionally dry the underside of the pan lid for crisper cakes.
Servings: 4
— Adapted from Gourmet, December 1990
ROASTED TURNIPS WITH MAPLE AND CARDAMOM
3-1/2 pounds purple-top turnips, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice (10 cups) 3 tablespoons vegetable oil Kosher salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract Generous pinch crushed red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, finely chopped (or a mix of parsley and mint)
Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 475 degrees. Line two large, heavy-duty rimmed baking sheets with foil. In a mixing bowl, combine the turnips, oil and 1-1/2 teaspoons salt. Toss to coat well. Divide the turnips between the two pans and spread evenly in one layer. Roast for 20 minutes. With a large spatula, flip the turnips. Swap the pans’ positions and roast until tender and nicely browned on a few sides, 15 to 20 minutes. The turnips on the lower rack might be done sooner than those on the upper rack.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the maple syrup, vanilla, and red pepper flakes, then the coriander and cardamom, until the sauce is heated, 30 seconds. Remove the pan from the heat. Transfer the turnips to a large mixing bowl. Gently reheat the sauce, if necessary, and stir in the lemon juice. With a heatproof spatula, toss the sauce with the turnips. Add half of the cilantro, salt to taste and toss again. Transfer to a warm serving dish and garnish with the remaining cilantro. Note: This dish can be made a day ahead. To reheat, put the dressed turnips, without the cilantro, in a large nonstick skillet and cover with a lid. Heat gently over medium-low heat until warmed through, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Add the cilantro and season to taste with salt just before serving.
— From Fine Cooking, November 2009
ROOT CELLAR MEDLEY SOUP
This is an easy soup for a meatless Monday or Tuesday. You can switch it up with whatever vegetables you have in the crisper or root cellar.
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small onion or leek, white and light-green parts only
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup turnips, diced
1/2 cup celery, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups good vegetable stock or chicken stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste (optional)
2 tablespoons cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Fresh flat parsley, chopped
In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté about 3 minutes or until starting to soften. Add carrots, potatoes, turnips, celery and thyme and sauté for 5 minutes while carrots soften. Add stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 20 more minutes, or until vegetables are soft. Whisk in tomato paste, if using, and vinegar. Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Ladle into warmed bowls and garnish with parsley.
Servings: 4 to 6
— From “The Complete Root Cellar Book” by Steve Maxwell and Jennifer MacKenzie (2010, Robert Rose)
