Category: Turnips

Roasting, or actually broiling in this case, is a great strategy for enhancing some vegetables. In spring I might find myself with random bits, a handful of radishes, a couple of salad turnips, a few spring onions, as was the case here. These aren't vegetables we necessarily think of as roastable/broilable but the quick broiling gives these tender vegetables a nice browning without turning them to mush. Adapt with what you have on hand, spices you like and mix and match your way to lunch/dinner. ... Read more »

You cook everything in one pot, drain, add a bit of cheese and olive oil and you have a steamy, good dish in 15 minutes or less.   Variations:  Use cauliflower, green beans, peas, asparagus, and/or carrots instead of broccoli Salad turnips and their leaves (if attached) or a few mustard green leaves or spinach is a nice variation Add some white beans for protein  ... Read more »

--Inspired by Quick & Easy Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey   The complex flavors in this simple curry dish belie the speed with which it comes together. It is a good template as many different vegetables can be used and you can add meats or seafood as you like. I use whatever combination of vegetables I have on hand.    ... Read more »

This quick dish is delicious, not just with rutabagas, but a mixture of turnips, kohlrabi, and rutabaga, or any one of these. Top it with cilantro and some yogurt and you have a very satisfying side dish. ... Read more »

A lovely meal for a warm evening. Use whatever fish you'd like and vary the slaw ingredients to suit your needs. This makes more slaw than you can probably use in your tacos but it is delicious and is lovely on its own as well. ... Read more »

This sauce is inspired by my friend Bryant Terry's Spicy Mustard Greens in his book Afro-Vegan. I've changed it quite a bit but the combination of flavors is mostly his and it's such a treat to find a jar of this in your fridge. I, as Bryant suggests, stir some into rice or couscous I'm cooking but I also love it on toast (with a little goat cheese if you'd like) or with beans or tossed with roasted vegetables or with eggs.   I started making this with radish and turnips tops I needed to use up--I was purchasing lots of radishes and turnips for a series of cooking classes and the greens weren't going to keep that long so I turned them into this sauce (which  keeps well for 4-5 days) and you could certainly use most any leafy green you can think of and in any combination.    ... Read more »

--Technique inspired by Todd Coleman's Potato Gratin via Food52.com   This is endlessly adaptable in that you can use any combination of roots and/or tubers you have or even mix in hearty greens. You can change the herbs or add or substitute spices. By cooking the vegetables in a a bit of cream or milk (or with some broth) before you put them in the oven you also save some time. ... Read more »

This is a simple technique that can be used with most any root vegetable or better yet, combination of roots. You can change the ratio of vegetables to suit your taste or to what you have on hand.  ... Read more »

Substitute carrots or snap peas or asparagus for the turnips, if you'd like. This sauce is nice to have on hand to enhance anything from chicken to eggs to pasta or any grain or vegetable. Feel free to halve the sauce recipe if you’d like but you'll need a mini food processor in that case because the volume won't be quite enough for a regular one.... Read more »

One beautiful spring evening when I couldn't bear the thought of coming in to cook dinner I threw together this little sauté and it was a keeper. The spices make it a bit more interesting and the cool yogurt a nice counter point. You can use most any vegetable and can certainly make it spicy or play with other seasonings, like adding ginger or coriander as well. I used chard, potatoes and onions in this version. ... Read more »

--inspired by Richard Stewart from The Gumbo Shop   Gumbo Z'herbes or Gumbo Zav or Gumbo Verte are all names for the the green gumbo often made during lent in New Orleans. There are dozens of versions of Gumbo Z’herbes, some with meat, some without, some with up to 13 kinds of greens.   This makes a big pot of soup but it’s hardly worth making a smaller batch. And it gets better with age and freezes well. This takes about 60-90 minutes to make (excluding the bean soaking time), including all the washing and chopping, depending on how fast of a chopper you are. You can also used canned beans in a pinch.   Serves 12... Read more »

[caption id="attachment_11558" align="aligncenter" width="660"] I had used the turnip greens for a different dish but the stems were still attached so I chopped those up finely, for this batch, and they added a wonderful crunch to the dish.[/caption] This is one of my favorite ways to prepare these tender turnips. If the greens are still attached by all means use them--the dish is wonderful with and without so make it throughout the season. [caption id="attachment_11559" align="aligncenter" width="660"] Served here with cold soba noodles tossed with ponzu sauce and fresh herbs for a lovely, light supper.[/caption]... Read more »

This is crunchy sweet and bright and a lovely refreshing addition to any grilled or roasted meat or fish or heartier, warm dish or just as a salad with some good bread and cheese.   Scrub your turnips and peel if using purple top or Gilfeather turnips/rutabagas. No need to peel if you're using Hakurei/Japanese Salad Turnips. Grate however many turnips you want to use. Sprinkle with sea salt and toss with a little rice or champagne vinegar or lemon juice or a combination. Toss in some chopped parsley if you have it and some chili flakes and a good splash of olive oil. Adjust seasoning and add some freshly ground black pepper.  ... Read more »

You can vary the vegetables in this to suit what you have on hand. This comes together quite quickly. If you start cooking the rice the minute you come in the door you can be eating dinner 25 minutes later. I used some leftover cooked chicken in this version and potatoes instead of turnips. Firm tofu is a great addition as well.... Read more »

  Quick Turnip Pickles Here is a variation on a theme of a salad called sunomono that you get in Japanese restaurants.  You can use Japanese Salad Turnips (Hakurei turnips), purple topped ones or Gilfeather Turnips.   Yields about 1 pint   1 bunch Japanese Salad turnips, trimmed and scrubbed but not peeled or 1 large purple top or Gilfeather turnip 2 medium carrots, well scrubbed but not peeled (can omit and use more turnips) 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt 1/2 cup rice vinegar 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons sugar   Use a mandolin, if possible, to slice the turnips as thinly as you can and keep them whole if they're small. Quarter them if using larger ones.  If you do not have a mandolin, I recommend slicing the top and bottom flat so you have a firm base and the turnip does not roll. If using the carrot, slice the carrot as thinly as the turnips. Use the same shape or shred into thin shreds.   Sprinkle the vegetables with the salt, toss to coat evenly and massage the vegetables a little.   While the vegetables wilt, combine the water, vinegar, and sugar in a jar and shake until the sugar dissolves.   When the vegetables have begun to wilt and have lost their “raw”-ness add the vegetables to the dressing and allow to marinate at least an hour. Chill the pickles, then serve cold.... Read more »

This is a lovely, fresh and quick salad that’s creamy, crunchy and hearty enough for a lunch or as a light supper with another salad or egg (or fish/meat) dish on the side.   4 servings... Read more »

  I originally made with just with radishes but turnips and bok choy and green garlic are all at home here. You can add thinly sliced, quickly broiled beef to this and serve it over rice for a complete meal. It would be lovely with most any grilled fish or tofu . . .. The lemon juice and the mint really add something here, taking it from a fine but uninteresting stir-fry to something a bit more vibrant. Toasted sesame seeds would be a nice addition too.... Read more »

--slightly adapted from Kitchen Diaries II by Nigel Slater   Chinese five-spice powder is a spice mix often made with fennel, star anise, cloves, cinnamon and Sichuan pepper.   This stir fry comes together quickly and is fresh, spicy and delicious.   If you don't have Chinese five spice do your best to make your own with spices in your pantry that include some of the above--use black pepper instead of Sichuan, skip the anise or add some coriander. . .   Serves 2... Read more »

Italians make many versions of this simple dish. It is suited to spring time and the tender green (and sometimes leafy) produce that starts showing up in the markets.   The veggies, in typical Italian style, are not left al dente (like pasta is) but are cooked through and sometimes even mashed up a bit to really blend the flavors. You can finish with fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon juice or simply with salt, pepper and a little more olive oil.  Serve alongside fish, or top it with a fried or poached egg or toss it with pasta or just with some crusty bread and cheese for a light dinner.... Read more »

The sweetness of the turnips is nicely complemented by the bite of mustard greens and radishes and the peanuts add a little crunch and heft. You could certainly add herbs or other vegetables to the salad. It's just a good, quick, template. The peanut oil is really nice here but if you don't have it you could substitute a neutral oil and add 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil.     ... Read more »