March 28, 2011

On the Table: Braised Turnips

I have had some turnips in the refrigerator for a little while, and I finally got around to making them today.  Here is the prettiest of the bunch (all the rest had lost their greens, sadly):

I LOVE turnips, and I think that root vegetables in general are seriously underrated.  They make filling, comforting dishes in the winter, and even though we have had glimpses of warm weather lately, I think we can enjoy some hearty offerings for a little while longer.  To prepare the turnips:

Peel four turnips, cut off their ends, and dice them into approximately 3/4 inch pieces (the main goal is to have the pieces uniformly sized; smaller pieces will cook a bit faster, while larger pieces will take a little bit longer):


In a pot (it needs to be a pot with a lid - I use a small soup pot), melt two tablespoons of butter.  Add in the turnips and a few dashes of salt and black pepper, and cook for a few minutes, stirring, until the turnips start to get lightly brown.  Add two to three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into the pot and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated.  Pour in enough vegetable stock to just barely cover the turnips.  Bring the liquid to a simmer, then cover the pot, turn down the heat, and allow to simmer for approximately fifteen minutes.  Remove the lid.  Add in a few squeezes of honey, a few dashes of dried nutmeg (about a teaspoon), and a few dashes of ground ginger (about half a teaspoon).  Allow the mixture to simmer, uncovered, for about thirty minutes, or until the turnips are cooked through (they should be very tender) and most of the liquid has evaporated.  Adjust seasoning as needed. 

Enjoy!

2 comments:

  1. What's on the menu today?

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  2. Hmmm...I haven't totally decided yet, but I am thinking brussels sprouts might be an option.

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