Our local food order sent us a surprise box of “unlovable vegetables” this week. In case you are wondering, this is the less popular varieties (think turnips, swedes, and kohlrabi) that are so often overlooked and forgotten. They aren’t as sweet and popular as our modern favourites (pipe down white potatoes!) but with a little effort and know-how, they can be truly superb.
But firstly, why is the turnip so unpopular? Throughout history it has been a frequently-maligned vegetable, perhaps attributed to its mildly bitter, piquant flavour, and popularity in slow-cooked, stodgy winter dishes. As far back as Dickensian times, if someone was referred to as a ‘Turnip’, they were considered to be an idiot or a fool.
In an effort to curb the growing problem of food shortages in Britain earlier this year, the Environmental secretary recently suggested that people eat turnips rather than tomatoes and lettuce. Within days, turnips disappeared from supermarket shelves, but there was a mixed response regarding the turnip’s flavour and cooking versatility. Comments on twitter ensued, and it became quickly apparent that not everyone loves an old-fashioned roasted turnip.
Evidently, turnips don’t carry the same sweetness and versatility as the tried-and-tested varieties that we know and love (hello to the foolproof onions, carrots and celery) but they do have unique flavour and spark, and from an economic perspective, they are relatively easy to farm, and often very well priced.
I don’t consider myself an expert when it comes to cooking turnips. But there are a few of tricks I picked up earlier this week as I read and worked my way through the ‘unlovable box’.
For starters, turnips work well with a little heat and caramelisation. Try roasting them in the oven with a knob of butter, or a drizzle of good quality olive oil, salt and pepper. Then add them to vegetable dishes, or throw them into a soup.
Balancing turnips with apples, and a touch of acid (try citrus or vinegar) breaks down the bitterness and piquancy. Apples and turnips, swedes and citrus are my new, favourite combination. If I wasn’t combining the three elements in a soup, I’d be pimping them up with spices and flavourings and pulsing them in a dip, or serving them alongside some crispy roast pork.
Turnip’s sharp flavours can be deliciously zesty and piquant when prepared raw and fermented. For kim chi and its innumerable recipe variants, turnips are a favourable stalwart. Try adding them into any of the radish-based kimchi ferments or swapping them in any of the root vegetable ingredients in kimchi recipes. One of my favourite kimchi cookbooks is Traditional and Modern Ways to Make Kimchi by Lauryn Chun. What you’ll see as you leaf through this elaborate recipe book is the 100s, perhaps 1000s of variations for this humble, health-promoting Korean condiment.
The recipe that I’m sharing this week is a Turnip, Swede and Sweet Apple Soup. It’s a blender-friendly recipe that’s made with base of light chicken broth, herbs and a touch of mandarin juice. Even the kids loved it (and they are usually the first to shun any unusual tasting flavours!) and I’ve frozen more for our late-night soccer matches this week. If you are not yet accustomed to making blender soups, I highly recommend you give it a try. They are easy to digest and quick to prepare, also delicious topped with sour cream and a touch of citrus juice.
Here are some tips to make it easier:
Invest in a sturdy hand-held blender. I don’t have a lot of room for appliances in our tiny kitchen, but my Cuisinart is considered essential. Even when we go on holiday, I usually find a reason to sneak it in our suitcase as it’s a game-changer for pureed soups and mixers.
Prepare more and freeze for later. I don’t always have time to cook later in the week, so I try to cook some, and freeze some for later wherever I can. Souper cubes freezer trays have been a game-changer for our storage space in the freezer and they come out in perfectly sized, two cup portions. As an alternative, you can always use a good quality mason jar. Just make sure you fill it 3/4 full, as the mixture will expand when frozen.
What I’m Loving This Week:
Bramley’s Seedling is one of our favourite cooking apples. And I was thrilled when a box was delivered here earlier this week from my mother’s farm on the Mornington Peninsula. If you are interested in cooking with heirloom apples, I highly recommend that you look out for specialty varieties over the coming months as they come into full season.
The Diggers Club is also running a Start Your Own Heirloom Apple Orchard workshop next month, and if I lived just a little bit closer, I would be very keen to go!
Recipe: Turnip, Swede and Sweet Apple Soup
What you will need:
800g white + purple turnips (roughly equivalent to 4-5 medium sized)
500g apples (roughly equivalent to 5 medium sized apples)
2 small onions
2 cloves garlic
2 sticks celery
4 cups light chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4 cup mandarin juice (from one large, juicy mandarin)
olive oil as required
sour cream for serving
Directions:
Preheat oven to 220 degrees, fan grill setting. Carefully cut the turnips, swedes and apples into 1-inch cubes and place on a large baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and toss together with your hands.
Place the baking tray in the preheated oven and roast for 25 minutes or until nicely golden-coloured.
Finely chop the onions, celery and garlic and set aside. Heat a large soup pot to a medium heat and add the onions, celery, garlic with a drizzle of olive oil. Gently saute on a medium heat until lightly browned and soft. Add in the baked vegetables (turnips, swedes and apples) together with the stock and spices. Cover with enough water as required. Then increase the heat to a gentle simmer. Continue cooking for 20-30 minutes or until vegetables become soft. Next, add salt and pepper (I add roughly 1 teaspoon sea salt and a dash of black pepper), plus the mandarin juice. Puree using a hand-held blender, or transfer to a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.
Serve soup in individual bowls with a dollop of sour cream and olive oil. You can also freeze the soup in souper cubes and enjoy them at a later date.
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