Without a suitable place to grow vegetables, I rely on local markets for fresh produce UNLESS a friend shares their bounty. Imagine how thrilled I was to receive a newly harvested turnip from a friend’s garden! I have never seen one so fresh with leaves still attached. A gorgeous green crown with a little sparkling gem at the bottom. Isn’t it darling? Are you wondering how to cook turnip greens?
Never having purchased such a fresh turnip, I had also never had the opportunity to prepare the greens. That was my first order of business, as with other root vegetables: Eat the greens first and the root later. What’s your favorite way to prepare turnip greens?
After washing and roughly chopping the greens, I sautéed them briefly in olive oil with minced garlic and tasted. Deciding they could be sweetened up a bit, I took an ice cube of tomato preserves out of my treasure chest of flavor gems and mixed that in. Grated asiago cheese on top added a saltiness and richer mouthfeel. I enjoyed them this way, but my husband is less a fan of bitter greens than I am. So, next time I might consider starting with some bacon or sausage to balance that out a bit more. More fat mellows the flavor. Or these greens could be combined with milder greens such as beet greens or spinach. How about tossing some raisins or apples in there instead?
Another idea is to quickly blanch them first as I often do with rapini. That’s delicious with sausage and pasta. Hmm…maybe I could try that dish with the turnip greens next time.
What about the root? Usually I cook turnips, but this one was so fresh and petite that I decided to slice it super thin and put it into a salad raw. Shaved asiago balanced out the sharpness of the turnip. Freshly picked produce is the best!
Developing your intuition in the kitchen while practicing zero waste cooking without a recipe is so gratifying. Who’s with me?