The farm is now harvesting root vegetables, including delicious carrots and turnips. You may have received these in your CSA bags this week.
If you’re not sure what to do with turnips, here are some tips.
First, storage. You can store turnips much like potatoes. If they are kept in a cool, dark, humid place unwashed, they will last several weeks.
Here are some ways you can eat turnips:
- Grate them raw and add to a salad or coleslaw.
- Bake like you’d bake a baked potato (350 degrees, 30-45 min. depending on the size). Afterward the skin will slip right off.
- Roast by cutting, drizzling on olive oil, sprinkling with coarse salt and pepper, and bake in a 450 degree oven until brown and crisp on outside.
- Boil until soft.
- After baking or boiling, put in a vegetable casserole or gratin. Or puree and add to a soup, which will provide good flavor and help thicken the soup. With a rich cream base and some garlic, turnips will make a nice soup just by themselves.
- Boil with a couple potatoes and then mash them all. (This is a nice alternative to regular mashed potatoes. I like mine with some roasted garlic pureed as well.)
Here are some other recipes for turnips:
- Glazed turnips and carrots
- Turnip gratin
- Root vegetable creole (You can vary the vegetables on this depending on what you have available.)
- Cream of turnip soup (celery leaves optional; try adding some finely chopped greens instead)
- Crispy turnip fries
Bon apetit! And if you have a favorite way to eat turnips, share it by adding a response below.