TURNIP RECIPES

Fresh Turnip Storage: Remove the greens from the turnips: Eat the greens within 1-2 days. Store both in a plastic bag in the fridge: they can be stored in the same bag. Separating the root from the leaves helps store the root better and longer.

Turnip Soup Photo Essay

"Eating Turnips" an article Andy Griffin wrote about history and turnips. It was published in our Ladybug Postcard, a free weekly email letter from our farm with recipes and articles.

Butter Bathed Tokyo Turnips from Chef Jonathan Miller

1 bunch tokyo turnips
olive oil
2-3 T butter
leaves from 4 branches thyme

Halve the turnips, reserving any greens for another use. Heat a large, cast iron skillet until very hot. Add a couple tablespoons olive oil and sear the turnips, cut side down, until darkly colored. Flip the turnips, sprinkle them with salt, and continue to sear the rounded sides for another couple minutes, or until deeply colored.
Add a quarter cup of water to the pan and immediately cover the skillet with a lid or sheet pan. Lower the heat and allow the turnips to steam for a few minutes, or until they are as tender as you like them.
Remove the lid. If the water has not boiled off, allow it to do so now, then add the butter and bathe the turnips in the butter as it melts, a minute or two more. Sprinkle the thyme leaves over the top, taste for salt and serve warm. Delicious.

For Golden and Purple Topped Turnips from Chef Jonathan Miller

My two favorite ways to have them are roasted on their own, or served with a roasted chicken or in Pot au Feu. Probably the easiest for home cooks is the roast, which means peeling and quartering the turnips, tossing in olive oil and salt, and aggressively roasting them (425-450 degrees) until colored and sweet, about 20-25 minutes.
If roasting them with a chicken, simply roast them alongside a chicken in a large, cast iron skillet. Stir every once in a while so the turnips get covered in chicken fat (I'd actually roast the chicken with turnips, carrots, red onions, and potatoes and/or fennel). Finish with a pan sauce made from the chicken fonds in the pan (pour off fat, deglaze with some vermouth and a minced shallot, mount with butter and parsley) while the chicken rests. Don't forget to salt your vegetables lightly before going into the roasting pan.

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 Kimchee from Chef Jonathan Miller
I know what you're thinking: do I need a separate fridge for this dish? Perhaps. But kimchee is healthful and delicious, if a bit smelly. Worth the occasional foray into the stinky for a change of pace on turnips. You might also try this with watermelon radishes. I bet it would be great! Don't forget that this takes time to ferment - at least 5 days - and will be good for half a year. If your turnips come with their greens, consider using those instead of the watercress. Or use some beet greens from your box instead.

2 lb turnips, peeled and cut into cubes no larger than 1 inch
1/2 small head cabbage (savoy from your box is great, although napa cabbage is more authentic)
1 T salt
1 c watercress or turnip greens or beet greens, chopped
4 T sugar
2 T chile powder (in Korean markets red chili powder is widely available)
1 T salted shrimp, chopped (or use a preserved shrimp product from your local Asian market)
1 1/2 t white vinegar
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 scallions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/2 inch ginger, peeled and grated

Put the turnips, cabbage, and salt into a bowl an toss well. Allow to sit for 15 minutes.
Combine the remaining ingredients in another large bowl and combine them well. Add the turnips and cabbage and all the juices remaining in their bowl, and toss well.

Transfer the kimchee to a glass jar (2 quart size works), and press down on all the ingredients. Cover tightly with plastic wrap (you can double wrap it if you like), and let sit at room temperature for 4 days.

Uncover the jar to release any CO2, stir the kimchee again, screw on a cap and put into the fridge. Shake the jar from time to time over the course of the next 5 days while it continues to ferment. Ready to eat after 5 days, and good for 6 months. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Turnips: A Taste Testfrom Chef Jonathan Miller

It's pretty unusual that anyone would get two kinds of turnips at the same time, but you'll have purple and gold turnips this week. This is a fun time to do your own family taste test. It's a different and fun way to get your family involved with the cooking or food preparation, and kids learn a lot. They also love being a part of the taste test because their opinion gets to count as much as grown ups here. If your turnips come with greens, then remove them and use them as a cooking green (I like mine with beans - they give them a peppery punch; or add them to a potato-leek soup to give that creamy, heavier soup some lift.) For this taste test, we are preparing the turnips very simply, giving them a quick sear and butter bath. I like to peel my gold and purple turnips, but if the turnips are young and tender, you might be able to eat the skins. If this method seems like too much work at the stove for you, try simply roasting the turnips separately, with some olive oil, salt, and thyme and then doing the same taste test.

1 small bunch gold turnips, peeled and quartered
1 small bunch purple turnips, peeled and quartered
olive oil
leaves from 4 sprigs thyme (or sub tiny sage leaves)
4 T butter

Heat a heavy skillet and add a coating of olive oil. Put one variety of turnips in the skillet at a time, cut side down, and sear until golden. Flip each turnip to the other cut side and sear that side to golden. Sprinkle some salt on them while the second side is searing. Flip the turnips up and add a little water - maybe half a cup or so. Cover with a lid or a sheet pan and allow the turnips to steam slightly so they soften up. Remove the lid and allow the water to evaporate and then drop in half the butter and half the thyme leaves. Lower the heat and bathe the turnips in that butter. Transfer to a serving plate, then repeat the process with the other turnip variety.

Serve them together and do a little taste test.

Turnip Beef Soup

1/2 lb. beef sirloin or beef stew pieces
1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 cups beef or chicken broth
1 cup Beer or ale
1/4 cup barley, rinsed and drained OR Brown Rice
2-3 Turnips, peeled and cut into small cubes
1-3 leeks or onions, chopped
2 Carrots, scrubbed & cut into small cubes
1 stalk celery, diced OR cutting celery , chopped
parsley, chopped
Fresh or dried thyme
S & P to taste

Trim away all visible fat from beef and cut into small cubes. Heat oil in a large saucepan; add beef and cook over medium heat to brown on all sides. Add remaining ingredients to pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 1½ hours. Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Summer Beans with Turnip Greens from Chef Jonathan Miller
Peppery greens and beans are one of life's great combinations. Including tomatoes makes this a seasonal favorite. I love this with cornbread, but any kind of quality bread works well. Use your favorite type of bean here. I like cannelinis or anasazi beans. Just make sure you're buying your beans from a market that sells lots of them so you aren't getting beans that are two or three years old. If you make the beans the day before you serve them, leave them in their cooking liquid in the fridge overnight. Their flavor and texture improve dramatically.

1st step:
1 c dry beans of choice (cannelini are nice)
1 onion, halved
1 carrot, halved lengthwise
1 bay leaf
2 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
2nd step:
olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 bunch turnip greens, chopped finely
3-4 tomatoes, diced (peel first if you prefer)
4 T chopped parsley and sage, or use just one

Soak your beans overnight in plenty of water to cover. Drain. Put the soaked beans and the halved onion, the carrot, the bay leaf, and the garlic cloves in a pot with water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, add some salt, cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until the beans are tender, anywhere from 30 minutes to 60 minutes, depending on the condition of your beans. If you have the time, allow the beans to cool in their soaking liquid, then chill overnight in the liquid. The next day, put the diced tomatoes in a strainer in the sink and sprinkle them with salt. Allow to sit. Heat some olive oil in a saucepan and saute the onion slowly until soft, but not
colored, about 10 minutes. Add the turnip greens and some salt. Cook down until soft, about 6 minutes. If you like softer greens, continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes or so. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid. Take out the onion, carrot, bay leaf and garlic cloves. Add the beans and tomatoes to the onion and turnip greens with enough of the bean broth to make it a little soupy. Use more broth if you like. Allow to cook at a bare simmer for another 15 minutes or so, then check for seasoning. Add the herbs, then serve with some bread or cornbread.

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 potato, 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.

Turnip French Fries adapted from Mr. Neep

Chop the turnip into french-fry strips and (if you wish) lightly coat with oil. Place on a flat baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake at 350-375 F for 20 minutes.
Try some different seasonings.....: basil, parsley, a little sea salt or a touch of cayenne and sea kelp.

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 Potato Puree

4 medium turnips, trimmed, peeled and halved (I might not peel them…)
4 medium potatoes or equivalent of smaller or larger ones, peeled and cut into large pieces
3 Tablespoons butter
S & P to taste
Chives for garnish (optional)

Boil turnips and potatoes until soft, 35-40 minutes. (perhaps less, depends on size of pieces: test with a fork). Drain, return to the same pot, and cook, stirring, until moisture evaporates (2-4 minutes). Stir in butter and S & P to taste. Garnish with chopped chives, if available.

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 saute onion, stirring, until
just beginning to soften. Stir in turnips (and greens if using) and rice and saute, 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 cilantro 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).

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)
1 t fresh or dried thyme
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 C vegie stock or water
1/4 t 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.

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