As I mentioned a few days ago, most of the turnips are in the freezer, awaiting their turn to impress us in soups, mashed potatoes, and any other way we can think to use them.
Did you know that turnips are in the Brassicaceae family (Brassica genus, to be precise)? I’m guessing not. The family is sometimes called Cruciferae. That’s right, they are one of the cruciferous veggies, along with broccoli and cabbage. Who knew? (Kale and collard greens are part of this family, too. How did I not know that?!) That probably explains why turnips taste a lot like cabbage when sliced and eaten raw.
I am not a cabbage fan.
I like cabbage in stir fries and egg rolls, but that’s about it. No slaw, no sauerkraut. Bleh.
But cruciferous veggies are nutrient power houses, and they grow well here, so I’m going to give the turnips a good try.
Most of what I’ve read about turnips is not encouraging; it’s more often considered fodder for livestock than humans. I found this Web page to be one of the most positive about turnips, and I’m going to allow the creator’s enthusiasm to direct me in my pursuit of turnip bliss. Or maybe turnip appreciation. Turnip tolerance?
Categories: Reading
Have you seen Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium? (It is probably a book as well as a movie) There is a delightful scene in it about nobody liking turnips and the fact that he had made turnip pudding, which no one was likely to eat.
I have not seen this. Turnip pudding, eh?
This morning I made an omelet with grated turnip. There’s a quiche recipe I like with grated zucchini, and the grated turnip is a similar consistency, so it seemed like a good idea.
Of course, the omelet also had onions, mushrooms, cheese, and fresh thyme, but I could taste the spicy turnip, and it was yummy. I will definitely try swapping the zuc for turnip in the quiche sometime.
Peeled raw turnips, cut in thin slices, are very good with your favorite dip. Squash are good this way too.