Conquering Winter Vegetables: Parsnip, Turnip, Cabbage
The fire roars in the wood-burning stove as the first real snowstorm of 2012 begins. I'm settled into my chair, thinking about parsnips. I'm thinking (in all honesty) about how I don't like them.
I eat most things non-meat, it's true. But each year I manage to carefully avoid a few root vegetables. As I unpacked this past week's CSA box and nestled its contents into the fridge, I knew I had some cooking thinking to do.
I've been reading through Didi Emmons' new book Wild Flavors, and I've trusted her recipes for quite some time from Entertaining for a Veggie Planet. I figured if anyone could get me to like the parsnip, it was her. And there it was on p. 24: Vegan Parsnip and Wild Mushroom Pie. Here, parsnips are combined with (and slightly diluted by) potatoes in a garlicky mash, nestled above some nicely sautéed mushrooms and topped with a good amount of tangy caramelized onions—all with the crunch of 100% whole wheat crust. (A little time consuming to make, but worth it.)
A parsnip win. Textured and tasty, the pie kept well for easily transportable leftovers. Parsnips down. Turnips and cabbage to go.
I faced the three white turnips head-on with Puree of Turnip soup. Drizzled with a little rosemary-arugula oil that I had leftover from a successful Brussels Sprouts experiment, the soup looked elegant but packed a nice hardiness. The turnips are sauteed in butter with a white wine reduction and then spiced simply with freshly ground white peppercorns and sea salt.
With a hunk of whole-grain bread, the soup made an excellent lunch, and then with a lightly dressed arugula salad—a great dinner.
With the big head of cabbage, my husband Rick chipped in and made a slow-cooker cabbage soup with cannellini beans and lots of oily onions. Once again, the contrasting textures really interested me.
But Rick's soup didn't do-in the full head of cabbage, and so I decided to try a recipe recommendation from my old housemate, Christopher–cabbage juice. Specifically, cabbage (4 c.), avocado, parsley (handful), and a granny smith apple juice.
A juice revelation. Refreshing with a creamy, interesting sweetness and a truly lovely shade of green that helped to combat Pittsburgh's winter gray skies.
The Winter CSA not only keeps me in touch with what is local right now in Western Pennsylvania, but also creates a kind of kitchen improvisation every other week where I'm given mystery vegetables that I both love and don't—and then forced to marry them in recipes. A really great challenge for a seasoned cook and baker or anyone interested in learning more about food, one box at a time.
Recipe
1 lb white turnips, cut into 1/2 in. chunks
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 Tbls Sweet butter
Dash of olive oil
1 Medium potato, cut into 1/4 in. chunks
1/2 c. Dry white wine
3-4 c. Vegetable stock
White peppercorns, freshly ground
Sea salt
Melt the butter and dash of olive oil in a big soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and turnips and saute for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent. Add the white wine, bring to a boil, and then simmer until half-reduced, about 3 minutes. Add the stock and the potatoes, bring to a boil and simmer 15-2o minutes until the potato is not crunchy, but not mushy.
Remove from heat and puree in a blender or food processor. Return to pot, season, and simmer for 5 more minutes–adding more stock or water to reach the consistency you'd like.
The drizzle:
1/2 c. Extra virgin olive oil
3 Tbls. fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
Handful Arugula, roughly chopped
1/4 c. Fresh parsley, chopped
1 Garlic clove, smashed
1/4 + tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Combine everything in a food processor until the mix leans toward a vibrant shade of green. (This drizzle is great as salad dressing or on anything, really.)
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