It’s Time to Give Turnip a Chance, Already!

Turnip is one of those vegetables that gets passed over time and again, despite it's rich vitamins and minerals.

Many deem it unsexy, boring and either bland or smelly.

I think it is one of vegetable's unsung heroes, much like brussel sprouts and cabbage - they were served dry, mushy and so overcooked that they smelled. After an experience like that, many folks don't want to revisit it again.

Too bad, because I think turnip (a.k.a rutabaga or swede) is a lovely, comforting vegetable.

It could be because my Mom made it for me as a kid or that I've always liked vegetables in their raw or overcooked (and everything in between) state, so much so that I would have seconds of vegetables for dessert. In fact, I mention turnip twice in my recently published book, The 30-Second Commute: A Non-Fiction Comedy About Writing & Working From Home, which is 2 more times than Twilight:

1) “At home, Mom cooked delicious and healthy food (I looooove turnip, brussel sprouts and liver and onions because of her – if that’s not a testimonial, I don’t know what is).”

2) “When I was about 12 or so, for some reason, my Mom was unavailable and I decided to cook my Dad dinner. I doubt I'd been at the stove before this, unless it was at my Mom's side to "help" her (read: eat the slices of raw turnip.  Poor thing. She'd have to peel and slice to whole thing just to get a wee little bit of cooked rutabaga for us for dinner because I couldn't get enough of the raw stuff).”

If you are someone whose had previous turnip trauma, I know that it's a longshot that you'll give it another go. Perhaps knowing that I never ate pie (along with most desserts), carpaccio and other previously believed “exotic” items before becoming a restaurant reviewer and now I'll try anything [because the way pros prepare items, they can transform anything and make it taste good (read: it willl in no way resemble your Mom's/Grandma's/Great Uncle's recipe)] will help.

And now thanks to the prevelance of fresh, local, organic and heirloom produce, vegetables have a vibrancy and fullness that they've never had before.

In otherwords, try it now because it's been decades since your last taste and honestly, look at how much your clothes/hair/tastes have changed since then… Doesn't it deserve at least a second chance, even if it's going to be the last?

Perhaps you don't know of turnips versatility?

First of all, there are many more varieties available (My Mom had just the one and managed to crank out delicious turnip!).

Secondly, you don't have to relegate turnip to just being boiled and mashed or roasted. Here's what I like to do with it:

Make Turnip Fries. Why should sweet potatoes have all the fun?

Turnip Curry. When making a vegetarian Thai or Indian curry, I replace the potatoes (and sometimes even the meat). It’s so filling and satisfying without any of the heaviness.

For the turnip haters, try Beer Braised Turnips. It’ll be hard to dislike them after this!

Turnip Casserole. Topped with breadcrumbs, butter and brown sugar and baked until soft, it’s almost a dessert. Well, at least for me it is.

Turnips Topped with Double Smoked Bacon. The combination is fierce!