Recipes for Turnips (yes, Turnips)

 

The turnip - it is a much maligned root crop, in my opinion.  It has a reputation that implies that only those who can afford nothing else will find themselves eating it.  This seems a poor reward for a food crop that can be stored for long periods of time without terribly expensive refrigeration systems.

It is true - turnips have a taste and texture that some people may not enjoy - but this is true for every food I know of.  And, as we have learned over time, sometimes it is a matter of preparation.  Here are a few options that have worked for us, or our customers, in the past.

 Grilled Veggies (YUM!)

 Works for turnips, summer squash, zucchini, potatoes, kohlrabi, etc - anything with some substance

Wash veg. Slice into rounds or half rounds, about 1/2 inch thick. Toss lightly with olive oil (putting slices in a bowl, sprinkling olive oil over and tossing the veg around works well) and add any desired spicing (sea salt, chopped marjoram or basil, pepper, garlic all work well). Grill for about 5 min, turning once. They are done when you can easily stick a fork in them.

Turnip Puffs
Ingredients::
• 2 cups cooked, mashed turnips, cooled
• 1 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 eggs, separated

Preparation:
Combine turnips, bread crumbs, margarine, sugar, salt, pepper, and beaten egg yolks. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into turnip mixture. Spoon turnip mixture into a buttered 1-quart casserole. Bake turnip puff at 350° for 40 minutes.
Turnip recipe serves 4 to 6.

Turnips (Young) Stewed in Butter
4 Servings

Take two pounds of young turnips; cut them into small squares or make them of any shape that may be preferred; dissolve two ounces of fresh butter in a saucepan sufficiently large to hold the vegetables in a single layer; put in the turnips and simmer them very gently until they are tender, without being broken. A few minutes before they are done enough, sprinkle a little salt and white pepper over them; put them in the center of a dish, and arrange fried or boiled cutlets neatly around them. Time: three quarters of an hour to stew turnips.

Southern Turnip Greens

4 to 4 1/2 pounds turnip greens
1 pound salt pork, rinsed and diced
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sugar, optional
a dash of crushed red pepper, optional

Cut off and discard tough stems and discolored leaves from greens. Wash greens thoroughly and drain well.
Cook salt pork in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp and brown.
Add the turnip greens, water, onion, sugar, pepper, and crushed red pepper; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 40 to 45 minutes or until greens are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Serve with vinegar or pepper sauce and cornbread.
Serves 6.

Turnips Greens with Cornmeal Dumplings

3/4 pound smoked meat (smoked turkey wings are excellent)
4 quarts water
1 teaspoon House Seasoning, recipe follows
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 bunch turnip greens with roots
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter
1 teaspoon sugar (optional; may be used if greens are bitter)
Cornmeal Dumplings, recipe follows
Place smoked meat in water along with House Seasoning, bouillon, and ginger. Cook over low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Strip turnip leaves free of the big stem that runs down the center of each leaf. Wash in a sink full of clean water. Drain and wash twice more, since greens can often be sandy. Peel and slice or quarter roots. Add greens to meat; cook for another 30 minutes, stirring often. Add roots and continue to cook for approximately 15 minutes, or until roots are tender. (Reserve 2/3 cup turnip liquid for the dumplings.) Add butter and sugar. Serve with dumplings.

House Seasoning: Mix ingredients together and store in an airtight container for up to 6 months
1 cup salt
1/4 cup black pepper
1/4 cup garlic powder
Cornmeal Dumplings
1 cup all-purpose cornmeal
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small onion, chopped
1 egg
2/3 cup liquid from cooked turnips
Mix all ingredients together. Dipping by teaspoonfuls, gently roll batter in the palms of your hands into approximately 1-inch balls; drop into boiling turnip liquid Make sure each dumpling is completely covered in liquid by shaking the pot gently; do not stir. Boil for about 10 minutes.

Shelghum Ka Korma (Turnip Curry)

8 servings

• 1 lb turnips
• 1/2 lb onions
• 1/2 cup yogurt
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3 tsp almonds
• 3 tsp dissicated coconut
• 3 tsp poppy seeds
• 3 tsp sesame seeds
• 3 tsp coriander seeds
• 1.5 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp garlic and ginger (ground)

1. Dry roast all seeds, almonds and coconut in frying pan. Grind to a fine paste. Add yogurt and set aside.
2. Heat oil, add sliced onions and fry until light brown
3. Wash the turnips and cut into pieces. Add to the pan and fry until light brown.
4. Add yogurt mixture and fry for about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water, cover and cook over very slow fire until turnips are tender. A thick gravy should have formed. Add salt to taste.

Mashed Turnip, Potato and Kohlrabi

Peel kohlrabi. Peel turnip and potato if desired. Cut into smallish cubes. Boil in water until soft. Drain most of the water, leaving some to make the mixture smoother. Add some butter and mash the contents until smooth.

Add garlic if that taste is desired.

There, I snuck a picture of kohlrabi into the blog too!  Why not?

Have a great day everyone!