TURNIP RECIPES

TURNIPS if the greens are fresh, they re delicious and good for you too. Click here to sign up for one of our weekly newsletters Turnip Soup Photo Essay

Roasted Turnips in Wine

adapted from Peggy's Biodynamic Garden

1 bunch turnips, peeled and cubed, greens reserved for another use
1 cup red wine
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons butter

Place turnips in saucepan; add remaining ingredients and enough water to barely cover. (You may also add other root vegetables: carrots, parsnips, etc.) Simmer until tender. Pour into baking dish and bake at 350 degrees 1/2 hour. Serve with rice or chicken. 2-3 servings.

Turnip Tips

adapted from "From Asparagus to Zucchini"

*Eat turnips raw. Slice or thickly julienne and add to vegetable platter or eat alone with or without dip.
*Grate raw into salads.
*Bake turnips alone for 30-45 minutes at 350 degrees, basted with oil, or bake along with other seasonal roots.
*Cook turnips with roasting meats.
*Mash or scallop turnips, just like you would potatoes.
* Dice turnips into soups or stews, and julienne into stir fries.

Turnip Greens Meal

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Garlic cloves, minced
1 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 Tablespoon Red Raspberry vinegar (I would use cider vinegar if no raspberry is available...)
1 large red onion, sliced
1 can black beans
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 large pototo, cubed (I would substitute a couple of the turnips...)
cleaned greens from one bunch of turnips.
Put all ingredients in a large pot, in the order listed. Bring mixture to boiling point, stir, lower heat to simmer, cover and cook for 15 or 20 minutes, or until potato is tender. Serve with a chilled fruit and yogurt accompaniment.

Julia’s Basic Vegetable Soup

chopped up alliums (leeks, green garlic, onions, green onions, garlic, etc.)
chopped up vegetables (turnips, tomatoes, leeks, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, most vegetables work here!)
S & P
Stock or water
other spices as you wish
vegetable oil

Saute the vegetables and alliums in the oil in a soup pan til they are rather browned. Add stock/water. Cook until all vegetables (you can mix vegetables here too) are well cooked. Season with S & P. Blend with a hand blender (or food processor or blender). Thin with milk, water, more stock, or cream if desired. Garnishes are endless: croutons, grated cheese, curled carrots, strips of lemon zest, etc etc etc.

Diced Carrots and Turnips

2 pounds carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 1/2 pounds turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
3 tablespoons butter
freshly grated nutmeg to taste

In a kettle of boiling salted water cook the carrots for 3 minutes, add the turnips, and boil the
vegetables for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they are tender. Drain the vegetables and transfer them to a
serving dish. Add the butter, cut into bits, the nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste and toss the
mixture until the butter is melted.

Serves 8. from Gourmet

Turnip, Carrot and Split Pea Soup

3/4 c Dried split peas
2 tb olive oil or butter
1 Onion, chopped
1 c Carrots, chopped
1 c Turnip, chopped
Turnip Greens, cleaned and chopped, optional
2 c Vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
Salt & pepper to taste
splash of vinegar

Wash peas and soak them overnight in cold water, or in hot water for one hour. Drain them and set aside. Heat the oil or butter in a saucepan and saute the onion until light brown. Add the carrots and turnip and continue cooking 5 mins. Add the peas, bay leaf, and veg stock, and stir well. Cover the pan, bring to a boil, and simmer 1 - 1 1/2 hours until the peas are really tender. Stir occasionally, and add water if necessary. Season to taste. Stir in turnip greens 1-2 minutes before removing from heat. Serve with a splash of vinegar.

Braised Baby Turnips and Carrots

from Alice Waters' Chez Panisse Vegetables

A very simple stewing is all that is wanted for very tiny and delicate turnips and carrots. Wash and trim the vegetables. Both should be tender enough to make peeling unnecessary. Trim off the carrot tops but leave a half inch or so of the stalks. Leave the tender turnip greens attached, trimming off only the leaves that are wilted or damaged. Put the young roots in a saucepan with a little butter and water, and stew gently, covered, until softened but not overcooked. Season with salt and pepper and serve. This is especially nice if you have a variety of carrots of different shapes and colors.

Gratin of Turnips and Onions

1/2 pound turnips, peeled and grated
1 onion, chopped fine
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan
1/3 cup heavy cream

In a bowl toss the turnips and the onion with the cornstarch, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan and salt and
pepper to taste and transfer the mixture to a buttered 9-inch-square baking dish, patting it down.
Drizzle the cream evenly over the mixture, sprinkle the mixture with the remaining 1 tablespoon
Parmesan, and bake the gratin in the middle of a preheated 375¡F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until
the top is golden.

Serves 2. Gourmet

Turnip Risotto

3 bacon slices
1 small onion
2 medium turnips (preferably with greens; about 1/2 pound total)
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup Arborio rice

Garnish: freshly grated Parmesan

In a 3-quart heavy saucepan cook bacon over moderate heat until crisp and golden and transfer with a
slotted spoon to paper towels to drain. Reserve 1 tablespoon fat in pan. Chop onion. Peel turnips and
cut into 1/4-inch dice (if using greens, cut into 1/4-inch-wide slices and chop stems). In a saucepan
bring broth to a simmer and keep at a bare simmer.

Heat reserved fat over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sautŽ onion, stirring, until
just beginning to soften. Stir in turnips (and greens if using) and rice and sautŽ, stirring constantly, 1
minute. Stir in 1 cup simmering broth and cook, stirring constantly and keeping at a strong simmer,
until absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and
letting each addition be absorbed before adding next, until rice is tender and creamy-looking but still
al dente, about 18 minutes total.

Crumble bacon. Serve risotto sprinkled with bacon and garnished with Parmesan.

Serves 2

TURNIPS WITH BREAD CRUMBS AND PARSLEY

4 small turnips (about 3/4 pound), peeled
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

In a large saucepan of salted boiling water cook turnips 15 minutes and drain. When turnips are cool
enough to handle, cut each into 8 wedges.

In a large skillet cook turnips in butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until almost tender
and golden on the edges, about 10 minutes. Stir in bread crumbs, parsley, zest, and salt and pepper to
taste and cook, stirring occasionally, until turnips are tender, about 5 minutes.

Serves 2. Gourmet

CHINESE-STYLE BRAISED BEEF WITH TURNIPS

1 cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons medium-dry Sherry
two 1/4-inch slices of fresh gingerroot, flattened with the flat side of a large knife
a 3-inch cinnamon stick, broken into large pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon aniseed
1 pound boneless chuck, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 pound turnips, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander or parsley leaves for garnish if desired
cooked rice as an accompaniment if desired

In a 1 1/2-quart microwave-safe dish stir together the water, the soy sauce, the Sherry, the gingerroot,
the cinnamon, the sugar, the salt, and the aniseed, add the chuck, spreading it evenly, and microwave
the mixture, covered, at high power (100%) for 20 minutes. Stir in the turnips and microwave the
mixture, covered, at high power for 15 minutes. Stir the cornstarch mixture, stir it into the stew, and
microwave the stew, covered, at high power for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the stew with the coriander and
serve it with the rice.

Serves 2.
Gourmet

ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES

Root vegetables combine harmoniously both with each other and with many meat or
fish dishes. Choose the ones you like best but remember that variety lends both complex
flavor and appealing color to the mixture. The vegetables also make a very good puree (see
end of recipe).

Ingredients:
Use a few of these vegetables, or some of each:

1 parsnip
2 carrots
1 celery root
1/2 rutabaga
1 turnip
3 thin salsify roots, blanched
Olive oil
1 cup chicken stock, heated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, optional

FOR A PUREE

A pinch nutmeg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Peel the vegetables and cut them into 1/2-inch dice.

Choose a roasting pan or casserole that will hold the vegetables in a 1 1/2-inch-deep
layer. Film the pan with olive oil, add the vegetables, and toss them in the oil. Roast the
vegetables, turning once or twice, for about 1/2 hour. Pour the hot stock over the vegetables and dot them with butter. Cover the pan, raise the temperature to 375F, and continue to roast for about 1 hour, or until the vegetables
are soft. Uncover the pan and continue to cook until all the liquid has evaporated.

If necessary, reheat the vegetables in a 350F oven or toss them in a sautŽ pan with a
little chicken stock.

To puree the vegetables, put them through a food mill or puree them in a food
processor, adding nutmeg, butter, and cream to taste. Put the puree in a casserole and reheat in
a 350F oven.

adapted from The Hudson River Valley Cookbook

Pioneer Beef Stew from the Craddocks
carrots, potatoes, onions, turnips, parsnips(?), from the farm
plus a scant pound of lean beef, browned in olive oil with garlic and a chili pepper
(from the store) all went together to blend a beautiful aroma floating thru the house.
S& P and
a handful of chopped flat parsley added at serving time was all the seasoning needed.

Pear and Turnip Soup
Sundays at Moosewood Restaurant

1 medium onion, chopped
1 T butter
3 medium-large turnips, peeled and chopped (about 3 cups)
3 large pears, peeled, cored, and chopped (about 3 cups)
1t dried thyme
1/2t salt
1 1/4C vegie stock or water
1/4t nutmeg
1 1/2-2C pear or apple juice
freshly ground pepper
shredded daikon radish (optional)
a few raspberries (optional)

In a large saucepan, saute the onion in butter for about 5 minutes, until translucent but not browned. Add the chopped turnips and pears along with the salt and herbs. Saute for another 10 minutes or so, stirring occasionally.
Add the stock or water and cook, covered, on low heat for 20-30 minutes, until the turnips are soft and tender. Add the spices. In a blender or food processor, puree the soup with the juice, until smooth and thick. Season with pepper to taste. Serve with optional garnishes, if desired. r