Jan 22

Jan 22 How to Cook a Turnip

There are times while grocery shopping when I realize that my eyes tend to glaze over an entire section of the produce displays. Do you know that feeling, of pure avoidance just because you’d never really consider cooking with those items? I could venture to say that it happens often, and it is quite interesting to take a few minutes to think about.

The turnip was never really a vegetable that we ate growing up. It didn’t grow in the clay soil of our garden, so didn’t grace our table. Or maybe it wasn’t worth the fight, if you know what I mean. Although I do remember my mother buying rutabaga and hiding it in winter stews occasionally. It was sweet and had a creamier texture, compared to the similarly colored potato which it was disguised as.

The Community Food Share food aid project we began last April continues, and changes as new partnerships form and old ones evolve.

This month an exciting opportunity for the Food Share came when my friend and colleague, Chef Laurie Wolfe with Sysco shared that she was going to have fresh produce items which needed to be moved, perhaps on a weekly basis. This grew the idea to feature some of those items, through instructional videos and tried and true recipes. Our first item was the turnip, and I can certainly say that I have consumed more turnip this month, than in my whole 40 years combined.

In this recipe blog, I share the favorite recipe from my testing and research. Corresponding video to come!

Moroccan Spiced Vegetable Stew, serves 6-8 people, makes about 8 cups of stew

Vegetables (total weight, approx. 1400g) :

1/2 yellow onion, fine diced

2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 potato, quartered

2 carrots &/OR parsnips, peeled and cut into sticks

1-2 turnips, peeled and cut into sticks

300g butternut squash OR a sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1 granny smith apple, peeled and quartered and seeded OR 4 tomatillos (fresh or canned), quartered

Seasoning:

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp cumin powder (or toast and grind whole seeds)

3/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp Kosher salt

shake of cayenne pepper

1/3 cup raisins

2 cups water

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F and prepare your chosen vegetables, keeping in mind that aside from the onion and garlic, pieces should be somewhat even in size for even cooking. Select a pot or Dutch oven that is about 4-6 inches in height which can be covered and is oven-safe.

Heat the pot on medium low heat on the stove top.
Add 3 Tbs of olive oil to the hot pot and sauté the diced onion until translucent and browning. Then add the garlic and spices.
Stir for a few minutes to warm the spices, and add the remaining vegetables. Stir well.
Toss until fully coated with the seasoning and then add the raisins and water.
Cover and place into the heated oven, for 45 minutes to about an hour or until the vegetables are tender. Try not to overcook and resist the urge to stir it!
Remove from the oven, test for doneness, and let rest about 10 minutes prior to serving.
This dish is a great one to prepare in advance and reheat, and can be portioned out to be frozen for later consumption. Otherwise, refrigerate any leftovers and consume within 5 days.
Chef’s Note: The selection of vegetables is flexible, and so that is why I provided a total weight on top of the recipe. I tried two variations and included them above, as they turned out quite similarly. Use what you have available to you or what is in your refrigerator and cold storage. The raisins are a must, don’t omit them! They could be substituted by dates or prunes, and really lend to the ‘sauce’ which the water and apple/tomatillo create.