Learning About Turnips: Turnips Sauteed with Apples and Mustard

/

It's time to learn about turnips. The few times I've tasted turnips, I've been less than impressed. The mashed ones are ok, but nothing compared to mashed potatoes. It occurred to me that I have been lax in learning about this vegetable and have maybe written it off too soon.

My daughter told me that you can't really trust Wikipeda. They learned at school that anyone can enter information on Wikipedia, so it may not be the most trustworthy source.  I figure no one is going to lie about turnips, like they would about a Khardashian or something, so I headed over there for some turnip information.

The turnip is a root vegetable that is very high in vitamin C, while the greens are full of vitamin A, folate, vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium and luetin. Whoa. Who knew?

The article also stated that for some, the flavor of turnips will always be bitter due to your genetics. I generally have this bitter-flavor reaction to cooked spinach (raw spinach is fine). When I read this, I almost sent it to Gran Fran so she would finally understand why I couldn't eat cooked spinach as a kid without crying.

But I digress. With the potential bitterness in mind, I decided to add some apples and apple cider vinegar to my turnip dish to sweeten it up a bit. What a nice combination! Once I tasted it, I realized it would be a great complement to the Real Simple Slow Cooker Bratwurst that I made recently.

I will continue to experiment with turnips, and please do share your turnip recipes with me!

Turnip and Apple Sauté

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 ½ to 2 cups turnips, greens removed, peeled, cut into cubes
  • 1 apple, skinned, cored and cut into even pieces
  • ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION

  1. Heat up the olive oil in a pan that is large enough to hold the turnips and apples, preferably one with a lid.
  2. Put the turnips and apple cider vinegar in the pan, stir once, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
  3. Add the apples and sautee until browned, about 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in the mustard, making sure to coat all the turnips and apples and cook for 5 more minutes.

Cook’s note: You can serve this with grilled sausages or a hearty toasted brown bread.