White Turnips - it's not a radish!

This Week’s Vegetable Box Feature: Small White Turnip… no they aren’t radishes!

 

With this week’s bundle having both turnip and rutabaga you are probably wondering the difference besides just their size and colour! They are both members of the cabbage family, Brassicaceae. The rutabaga is thought to be an ancient cross between a turnip and a cabbage, and therefore a hybrid. For a quick rule of thumb, the brownish-yellowish ones are rutabagas, and the smaller white and purple ones are turnips. In terms of their flavor, rutabagas are slightly sweeter-tasting than turnips whereas turnips have a slightly more radishy flavor.

 

A few more turnip facts…

· They are a good source of vitamin C, folate, iron, and calcium

· They may look like radishes but they have a denser, less watery texture

· They are a little bit sweet and a tiny bit bitter

 

How to Store Them?

You can wrap them in a moist cloth in a loose plastic bag in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator, where they will stay good for up to 6 months.

 

How to Use Them?

Turnips are a vegetable that people can consume raw or cooked. To peel or not to peel, that is the question. The decision to peel your turnips is totally up to you. If you decide to peel the turnips, do the chore with a vegetable peeler, just as you would with a potato. Use turnips any way you would use a potato. Try them baked or boiled in stews, soups and stir-fries, or lightly steamed with some butter, salt or lemon juice for flavor.

 

 

Recipes:

 

Caramelized Turnips and Shallots

Created by: Martha Stewart

I love this recipe because it’s an easy side that uses three vegetables from this week’s bundle!

 

Ingredients:

1 ¾ pounds white turnips, peeled and cut into pieces 2 ½ inches by 1 ½ inches in size

1 ¾ pounds rutabagas, peeled, cut into pieces 2 ½ inches by 1 ½ inches in size

10 shallots (about 10 ounces), peeled, root end intact

2 TBSP plus

2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

¾ cup red-wine vinegar

2 bay leaves

6 sprigs fresh thyme

¼ cup packed light-brown sugar

3 TBSP unsalted butter

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Put turnips, shallots, and oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper; toss. Spread in a single layer. Roast until tender and golden brown, about 35 minutes.

2. Put vinegar, bay leaves, and thyme in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer; cook until reduced by about half, about 10 minutes. Add sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt; stir to dissolve. Add butter, and cook over medium heat until reduced to a syrupy glaze, about 10 minutes. Discard thyme. Pour over roasted vegetables; toss to coat. Serve immediately.

 

Roasted Baby Turnips with Spicy Mustard Dressing

Created by: Cedardown Farm

A delicious side for your favourite protein.

 

Ingredients:

2 bunches baby turnips

1 TBSP spicy brown mustard

1 TBSP apple cider vinegar

2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil

1 TBSP maple syrup (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Lay turnips flat on a sheet pan and roast for 10-15 minutes, or until skins are light brown and turnips are tender.

3. Mix spicy brown mustard, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and maple syrup (if desired) and serve along side turnips for dipping.

 

Turnip Stir Fry with White Beans

Created by: Lizzie Streit

A flavorful, vegetarian turnip recipe that's on the table in less than 30 minutes!

 

Ingredients:

1 TBSP olive oil

3-4 turnips - scrubbed, trimmed, and diced

3 cups spinach

1 15.5 oz can white beans - drained and rinsed

1 TBSP fresh ginger - finely chopped

2 cloves garlic - pressed or minced

1 TBSP honey

1 TBSP rice vinegar

2 TBSP reduced sodium soy sauce - use tamari for gluten free

1 cup brown rice - cooked, for serving

Directions:

1. If you need to prepare rice or a whole grain for the meal, start that before making the stir fry.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the turnips and cook, stirring/flipping occasionally, for 8-12 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.

3. While the turnips are cooking, whisk together the ginger, garlic, honey, rice vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Add the spinach, white beans, and sauce to the skillet. Cook for 4-6 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted and the stir fry is heated through.

4. Serve warm over rice. Enjoy!

 

Turnip Gratin

Created by: Simply Recipes

This recipe can also be made using this week’s rutabaga you just might want to blanch it longer than 3 minutes!

 

Ingredients:

1/2 white turnips, peeled, and sliced 1/8- to 1/4-inch thin

Extra virgin olive oil

3 to 4 slices white bread (enough to make 2 single layers in the pan), crusts removed

Few sliced onion, very thinly sliced, enough to cover the pan in 1 layer

4 ounces Gruyere cheese

Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. 2. Blanch the raw turnip slices in salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Remove from water and drain.

3. Layer bread, turnip slices, onions, cheese in casserole dish.

4. Coat the inside of the casserole dish with olive oil. Place a layer of bread on the bottom of the casserole dish. Layer on half of the turnip slices in a single layer, season with salt and pepper.

5. Layer on all of the onions. Sprinkle with half of the cheese. Add another layer of bread, turnips, and cheese. Sprinkle again with salt and pepper. 6. Place casserole on top rack of oven. Bake at 325°F for 25 minutes. For the last few minutes, if you want, and you are using a pan (metal or ceramic) that can safely handle broiling temperatures, broil for a couple minutes to brown the top.

Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

 

Onion and Turnip Soup

Created by: Ribana Hategan

Perfect winter meal!

 

Ingredients:

1 big yellow onion, finely chopped

5-6 young turnips, peeled and diced

1 big Russet potato, peeled and diced

3 to 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 ½ cups vegetable stock

1 cup water

A pinch of dry rosemary

A pinch of ground nutmeg

Sea salt, to taste

White pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a medium size pot over medium-low heat, add the finely chopped onion, and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the diced turnips and let them cook for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add the diced potato, rosemary, nutmeg, vegetable stock, and water. Then, season with salt and pepper and increase the heat and bring to a boil. Once the soup is boiling, lower the heat and let it simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until the potatoes and turnips turn tender.

4. Add the soup to a blender or use an immersion blender and blend until creamy.

5. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if needed. Serve with a few drops of lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, chili flakes, croutons, or fresh parsley.

 

Recipes are curated by Lauren