Nips...Turnips

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redsoxmj
redsoxmj Posts: 31
in Recipes
So, I got a butt load of turnips from my CSA this week, and after taking some other lady's extras, realized that I never really liked turnips as a child, and haven't eaten them since I was a kid and my mom would force me to take at least one bite before I could be done with my dinner. I love turnip greens and are planning on cooking them with some heavenly bacon and serving with pepper vinegar, but what in the heck do I do with these turnips?! I need some help to make these suckers taste yummy!

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  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
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    Roasting them, just like most root veggies, is easy and flavorful. Or make a hash with them instead of potatoes, delicious as well.
  • MiloBloom83
    MiloBloom83 Posts: 2,724 Member
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    I have only ever eaten them raw, right out of the ground, in the garden. So I am absolutely no help. But enjoy those turnips.
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    I've got them coming out of my ears from my own garden right now too.

    If you're not 100% sold on the flavor, try using them 50/50 with whatever way you'd otherwise make potatoes. It softens the flavor a bit mixing them with bland potatoes.

    Roasting is good - I also grill them a lot (usually in a foil pack with potatoes and other vegetables tossed with a bit of EVOO)

    Once I get sick of 'em I freeze the rest and use them in soups over the winter.

    But I'd love to hear other ideas, since I've got so many right now too.
  • redsoxmj
    redsoxmj Posts: 31
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    I'll probably try to roasting thing, we have a lot of potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic from the CSA as well. The hash idea is great as well as just freezing them for soup. I hate to be wasteful and I probably won't end up using all of them, this way I can torture my significant other with them all year around! :)
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
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    I agree with roasting them...delicious. But if you really don't like them, you can always use them to make vegetable stock.
  • happysquidmuffin
    happysquidmuffin Posts: 651 Member
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    Do they taste anything like parsnips? I like parsnips. I've never eaten turnips but if they are anything like radishes, then I'd hate them. Are they less "spicy" than radishes, you turnip-lovers?
  • juggernaut1974
    juggernaut1974 Posts: 6,212 Member
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    Do they taste anything like parsnips? I like parsnips. I've never eaten turnips but if they are anything like radishes, then I'd hate them. Are they less "spicy" than radishes, you turnip-lovers?

    They're really a flavor all to their own...I'd probably say they're somewhat of a combination of cabbage, radish & parsnip. They can have a bit of a bite like radishes, but roasting/grilling them does soften that a bit.
  • Corjogo
    Corjogo Posts: 201 Member
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    Check out this website...http://www.punkdomestics.com/category/tags/pickled-turnips - pickled turnips - have not tried these recipes but have made turnips pickled and really liked them. This site just had a variety. enjoy
  • tracydr
    tracydr Posts: 528 Member
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    My mom used to serve them mashed as a potato substitute. I like them better than cauliflower mashed.
    Lacto-fermented- just add salt to sliced turnips and leave on the counter for a few days to a couple of weeks. May need to add some water and will need a weight to keep them below fluid level. They will get a delightful fresh pickled flavor. I think I've seen a recipe for Lebanese pickled turnips done this way.
    Roasted or added to beef stew. I love turnips and parsnips with roasted beef.
    Did you get the tops? Cook them just like mustard greens. You can also do this with radish greens. Turnip greens are so good that there is a variety of turnip grown only for the greens.
    I also like them raw/sliced with a bit of salt and rice vinegar, or even plain. They taste kind of like kohlrabi to me.
    English pasties. Don't know how you would make a low-cal crust but pasties with beef and turnips is delicious.
    Russian or Polish piroshki would also be good and the bread wrapper would be less calories than pasty crust.
  • tracydr
    tracydr Posts: 528 Member
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    Here's some info and recipe for lacto-fermented:
    http://www.culturesforhealth.com/lacto-fermented-turnips-recipe
  • jamebb
    jamebb Posts: 86 Member
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    I just made a puree with a turnip (one in surprisingly good shape considering it was leftover from easter in the back of the fridge) and some radishes from my csa. I peeled the vegetables and dumped them in boiling water till they were fork tender - I gave the turnips a 2 minute head start in the water because it seemed like they were harder than the radishes. Drained the water and used the immersion blender to puree them with a little bit of milk, butter, salt, pepper, grated pecorino, and garlic powder. It was really tasty and a huge serving for less than 200 cal.

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