Turnips, anyone?

[Galileo126]

OK, so I have a few (large) turnips... and want to do something other than the "boil/mash/butter" thing. Sure, it's a root veg, but there must be something other than treating the turnip like a spud.

I like the flavor of the turnip!

Any ideas for a recipe? A soup perhaps? Roasted?

Signed,
"Clueless"

ps - thx in advance for your ideas.

[TreasonousBastard]

1. turnip pancakes...

grated, steamed or roasted turnip as a replacement for rice

grated turnip in a salad

make a beet or squash soup and throw in chunks of turnip (or mash the turnip with the beets or squash)

cut it in half, scoop it out, stuff and bake it

whatever you do, be sure to include those huge radishes in the stores now

all of the above I've done, but there's more here-- http://allrecipes.com/recipes/fruits-and-vegetables/vegetables/turnip/

BTW, are these purpletops or the big orange rutabagas that a lot of people call turnips?

[Galileo126]

3. They are purple tops (not rutabagas)

I clicked on your link, and I like the idea of turnip fries.

[jtuck004]

4. That's where I was going...

http://www.cooklocal.com/2010/01/15/turnip-fries/

Still potato-like, but not so much how people usually eat turnips...

[Warpy]

2. The only way I liked turnips was in soup or roasted

I don't like turnips and roasting seemed to tame them enough that I could get them down.

Boiled and mashed? Gag time.

[pinto]

5. Roasted is always good for a root veggie, imo. And I add turnips into New England boiled dinner.

A standard in my family - potatoes, turnips, carrots, onions - all the things along that line of vegetables.

[dem in texas]

6. I love turnips too.

My aunt made creamed turnips, I always loved that dish. They are good when added to a vegetable stew or soup, add depth to the flavor of the broth. If I make a pork roast, I always add a sliced turnip, plus an onions and some celery. The 3 vegetables cook down into the meat drippings and you have a great base for a flavorful brown gravy.

When I was a kid, we'd eat them raw, sliced thin with a little salt on them.

[japple]

7. Turnips are wonderful. I always add one to soups for a flavor boost.

Turnips au gratin are divine--use a potato recipe. I like to cut in small cubes and saute them with turnip greens. Young turnips can be grated and made into slaw with or without cabbage. I haven't tried them roasted, but plan to when they start coming in this fall. I think I remember somewhere reading a recipe for slaw with grated turnip and apples. Will see if I can find it.

ETA: Here is the recipe. http://www.earlymorningfarm.com/purple-top-turnip-apple-slaw/
I think I would add a bit of green onion and maybe sweet peppers. Carrots would also work.

[csziggy]

8. How about a Michigan tradition - pasties!

Coal Miners Pasties

Submitted By: Kevin Ryan

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Cook Time: 45 Minutes

Ready In: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups lard
10 tablespoons ice water
2 pounds top round steak, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
5 red potatoes, peeled and chopped
3 turnips, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salt

Directions:
1. Place the flour, 2 teaspoons of salt, and the lard in a bowl. Quickly rub the lard into the flour with your fingertips until it resembles small peas. Pour in the ice water, and form into a ball. Add more water if it feels too dry. Divide the dough into 6 balls, and wrap in plastic. Chill one hour.
2. In a bowl, combine the meat, turnips, potatoes, onions, remaining 1 tablespoon salt, and pepper.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
4. Roll out one of the balls on a floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick. Using a cake pan, trace a 9 inch circle in the dough; cut out the circle. Place about 1 1/2 cups of the meat mixture into the middle of the circle. Fold the edges of the circle up to meet along the top of the meat filling, and crimp the dough along the top to seal. Repeat until all dough is used up. With a spatula, transfer the pasties to an ungreased sheet.
5. Bake the pasties for 45 minutes, or until golden. Serve hot or at room temperature.

My grandmother taught Mom to make these though she never used turnips - instead she put carrots in hers. Mom also used her regular pie shell mixture with all purpose flour and Crisco shortening.

A tip - I'd make smaller pasties or serve half of one per person - they are very filling. When we were kids, Mom would make four pasties for the six of us. Dad would eat one and the rest of us would eat half each. Mom would have the leftover half for lunch the next day.

[Retrograde]

9. My father used to eat them raw as a snack

Salted and sliced, he'd eat them the way some people eat potato chips. If they're old or large they may be too strong-tasting for that.

Turnip cakes, one of my favorite dim sum dishes (well, they're usually made with radishes, but they're closely related botanically and I have seen them substituted for each other).