Tag Archives: Turnip

September 18, 2013

Farm Fresh Challenge: Turnip, Potato, Tomato Stew

By ritalovestowrite

After a couple of steamy weeks the weather has cooled considerable here since Sunday. This resulted in my getting a nasty cold ( which meant I didn’t post yesterday! GASP! — I do have note from the doctor, but still!) However the vegetables from the CSA are still going strong.

Here’s what was in the box for week 18 of the Calverts Gift CSA (after I made my substitutions)…

escarole Tomatoes cherry tomatoes garlic turnips Napa cabbage Bok Choi Jalepenos

Escarole, Tomatoes, Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic, Turnips, Napa Cabbage, Bok Choi and Jalepenos. (I swapped the Bok Choi and Jalepenos out for more Turnips.)

I knew I wanted to make something Turnip inspired and decided on a simple Turnip stew.

INGREDIENTS:

From the Box:

2 bunches of Turnips (cut into 1/2″ chunks) [I’ve got smaller snowball and larger red turnips here]

2 Cloves of Garlic (diced)

2 Tomatoes (cut into 1/2″ chunks)

1 cup Fingerling Potatoes (cut into 1/2″ chunks) [From previous box]

IMG_6110

From the Pantry:

2 Tbls Olive OIl

1 Onion (diced)

Salt, Pepper and dry Cilantro  to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a Dutch Over or heavy skillet place the Olive oil and Turnips  cover and cook at a medium heat. Stir every few minutes.

2. Add the Garlic at about the 5  minute mark. Stir.

3. Add the Onions and Fingerling Potatoes at the 10 minute mark. Stir.

4. Check the stew. If the Potatoes and Turnips are soft enough to pierce with a fork add the Salt, Pepper, Cilantro and Tomatoes.  Stir.

Don't let the tomatoes cook down too much.

Don’t let the tomatoes cook down too much.

5. Heat the Tomatoes through and remove from heat.

6. Serve hot in a bowl and enjoy.

Ready to eat.

Ready to eat.

I like the way the sweetness of the tomatoes plays off the slightly bitter flavor of the turnip.

This can be eaten hot or cool. (But on a day like today it is perfect steaming hot with a chunk of fresh baked bread.)

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1 Comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Chopped Parkton, postaday, Thought of the Day, Turnip Potato Tomato Stew

June 5, 2013

Farm Fresh Challenge: Roasted Turnip & Beet Salad

By ritalovestowrite

finished plate

Welcome to week two of the Farm Fresh Challenge! Or as I like to call it…

[Not associated with the real Chopped, the Food Network or Tim Allen.]

[Yeah … I’m gonna use that graphic until Tim Allen asks me personally to cut it out.]

I picked up the box at the CSA and it was filled with similar bounty of wonderfulness.

A CSA, you’ll recall, stands for Community Supported Agriculture, and we get our share from Calvert’s Gift Farm in Sparks, MD. We’ve been a part of Calvert’s Gift for five years now, and there’s a lot to love about the farm…

  • the produce picked fresh and is organic
  • it taste terrific
  • the farm is super local, so I don’t fret about the carbon footprint of eating a veggie that’s been trucked from another state (or country!)
  • there is a share box at the barn to swap out a product that doesn’t fit my dietary needs / tastes
  • there are always extras in the bonus box.
  • Calvert’s Gift also has a stall at the Kenilworth Farmers Market on Tuesdays and the Bel Air Farmers Market on Saturdays. Sometimes — when I’m feeling particularly cook-y —  I hit the market too.
  • the CSA is intimate, so as share holders we aren’t just a number
  • Jack and Becky, the farmers are friendly and helpful

Last week’s Turnip and Ham Salad was a huge hit with my family, so when I saw turnips in the share this week I knew I wanted to do another kind of salad.  Blessed with a bit of cooler weather I decided to roast some veggies to make

Roasted Turnip Salad…

In the CSA box I had:

2 Bunches of Scallions, trimmed with the stems chopped and the bulbs set aside

green Onions

2 Bunches of Turnips, greens and roots trimmed off  and turnips cut into 1/2″ chunks.

Turnips

1/2 cup of Carrots, cut into 1/2″ chunks (technically my carrots were left from last week’s box)

Carrot

12 medium organic strawberries, diced

strawberries

I head of lettuceLettuce

From  the pantry:

1 cup of beats, cut into 1/2″ chunks

3 Tbsp virgin Olive Oil

1/4 teaspoon Red Pepper

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Parsley

2 teaspoon Cilantro

1/4 cup grated Italian Cheese

1 COOKED Chicken Breast, diced (optional)

DRESSING:

4 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

(Chopped tops from the Scallions from above)

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1 Pre Heat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Put the Scallions, Turnips, Carrots and Beets into a bowl and toss with the 3 Tablespoons of Olive Oil, Red Pepper, Salt, Parsley and Cilantro.

Turnip Salad tossed

3. Once the vegetables are coated transfer to a roasting pan.they should be in a single layer.  Put the pan into the heated oven for 20 minutes.

4. Carefully stir the vegetables and heat for an additional 10 minutes.

5. While the veggies are roasting prepare the dressing by whisking the Olive Oil, Apple Cider vinegar and Mustard together. Add the Scallions.

6. Once the vegetables are tender enough to pierce with a fork remove from the oven and let cool slightly.

veggies in roasting pan

7. Dress the veggies and add the chicken (optional), strawberries and cheese. Toss gently.

8. Serve on a bed of fresh lettuce greens. Enjoy warm or chilled.

Turnip beet cheese

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7 Comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Chopped Parkton, Cooking, Farm Fresh Challenge, postaday, Thought of the Day

May 29, 2013

Farm Fresh Challenge: Turnip and Ham Salad

By ritalovestowrite
Turnip and Ham Salad

Turnip and Ham Salad

Do you know CHOPPED? It’s a TV series on the Food Network where professional chefs are presented with a basket of mystery ingredients and given a brief amount of time to come up with amazing dishes. The dishes are judged by a distinguished panel of chefs and the winner, after three grueling rounds, gets $10,000. I’ve always liked that show because it reminds me of dinner time at my house. Only… my basket is the refrigerator,  my judges are my family, and my reward is their gratitude.

It is summer here in Maryland and that means our family enjoys a weekly box from a local farm. We are part of a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) and every week we pick up our very own mystery box from the farmer. We get a share of eggs and a variety of vegetables from the farm. And, although we get a reminder email every week that lists what will be in the box — they even give us some serving suggestions –I always open the box with a bit of Chopped inspired glee. For me it is Chopped, Parkton Style.

[Not associated with the real Chopped, the Food Network or Tim Allen.]

[ritaLOVEStoWRITE and Chopped Parkton Styles is NOT associated with the real Chopped, the Food Network. My apologies to Tim Allen.]

With that in mind I’ve decided to dedicate one blog a week to a recipe based on something I cooked from the box. Today is the first installment. — Turnip and Ham Salad.

I was doubly inspired this week because fellow blogger 124 Park posted a beautiful recipe for Blue Cheese & Bacon Potato Salad. [Click Here to see 124 Park’s yummy recipe.]

In the CSA box I had:

  • romaine lettuce

IMG_5117

  • bunch turnips

IMG_5109

  • bunch carrots

IMG_5113

  • eggs

IMG_5118

  • radishes

IMG_5115

Other Ingredients:

  • shallots
    IMG_5111
  • chives (fresh from the garden)
    IMG_5122
  • olive oil
  • apple cider vinegar
    IMG_5120
  • dijon mustard
  • honey
    IMG_5128
  • lemon peel
    IMG_5094
  • ham
    IMG_5131
  • cheese (I used grated Italian Blend)

Directions:

1. Chop the romane and set aside.

2. Remove the greens from the turnips and radishes and cut into 1/2″ pieces. Scrape the carrots, cut off the tops and ends and cut into 1/4″ chunks. Put the turnips, radish and carrots into a large pot with salted water and boil until tender. About 10 minutes. Drain and run veggies under cold water to stop them from cooking further.

IMG_5125

3. Hard boil the eggs.

4. While the veggies and eggs are cooking …  whisk together the oil, vinegar, shallots, chives, chive flowers, dijon mustard, honey and lemon peel in a large bowl.

5. Cut the ham into 1/2″ cubes. Toss them into the pot you used for the veggies and cook until done. (The ham I used was pre-cooked, so it just needed to be heated through).

6. Toss the veggies, ham and eggs with the oil, vinegar mustard dressing.

7. Plate over romaine and top with a tablespoon of grated cheese.

Turnip and Ham Salad

Enjoy!

This was a big hit with my family, and I will definitely be hitting this recipe again.

Special thanks to 124 Park, Chopped and the Food Network.

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4 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Farm Fresh Challenge, Food, postaday, Thought of the Day, Turnip and Ham Salad

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