Guest Post: Baby Turnips with their Greens

Jul 15th, 2010 | By Jessica Nunemaker | Category: Eat, Guest Posts, Recipes

Hey there, little Indiana! Today is my *second* guest poster ever! Say “howdy” to Granola Mom Jodi McKenna and her super simple, healthy, and eye-appealing meals!

I must admit that I was taken off guard. I discovered that I actually liked turnips last week.

34 years have gone by and I have never ever tasted a turnip. It was and remains a white vegetable . . . and for some reason that just seemed wrong to me. I imagined that they would taste like dirt or worse . . . lima beans. I know – this is incredibly immature of me. But at least I am honest.

Our family is branching out, and certainly not a stranger to weird foods. Just when I thought there was little else for us to try! If you ever visit me for a cup of Chai, you’ll find yourself walking into a continual kitchen science experiment. There is no telling what kind of mold, yeast, or bacteria I am growing . . . all in the name of health.

I have Farm Fresh to blame for my most recent culinary endeavor in the Granola Mom kitchen. I was convicted to keep these odd white vegetables in my online shopping cart because they were grown LOCALLY. And I am all about that, especially after reading Barbara Kingsolver’s book—Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

So go to the Farmer’s Market, gather your ingredients, and try this turnip dish out on your family. If you have kids, find some way for them to HELP you cook this side dish. When they have the opportunity to take part in their food preparation, it makes a big difference in what you can get them to eat!

(To prepare your turnip, wash the leaves and white bulbs. Trim off excess roots. Separate the leaves from the turnip.)

Ingredients

12 or more baby white turnips, scrubbed, greens trimmed and washed
salt and freshly milled pepper
2 to 4 tablespoons butter (Minerva Dairy is my favorite!)
Several thyme sprigs

Directions

1 . Bring 3 quarts water to a boil for the greens. Add 1 ½ teaspoons salt, the greens, and simmer until tender (about 8-10 minutes).

2. While this is occurring, set a steaming basket over salted water for the turnips. Steam the turnips until they are tender-firm (about 10-12 minutes).

3. Drain the greens, press out excess moisture with the back of a spoon, toss them with half the butter, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange them on a plate.

4. Toss the turnips with the remaining butter, a few pinches of salt, a grind of pepper, and the thyme.

5. Pile the turnips on the greens and serve them together. (Serves 4— however, I will admit that we had leftovers and we are a family of 5!).

A special thanks goes to Farm Fresh for graciously allowing me to share their recipe with you. And if you would like to try some unusual food in your kitchen, head on over to Granola Mom 4 God!

little Indiana again. Just had to say that while I haven’t “officially” tried a turnip yet…there is one in the fridge (that I bought from my favorite vendor at my local farmer’s market) that is just begging to be turned into this easy peasy salad!