Turnip isn’t boring always

Pity the poor turnip. So maligned, so misunderstood.

I’m guilty of such myself. Just recently, on a visit to a FreshFarm Market in Washington, America, I muttered to myself at one farmer’s stand, “Well, I guess we are getting down to turnips, aren’t we?” It was an exaggeration; I also bought kale, carrots, parsnips and more. But this is the time of year when I start to worry that the fresh, seasonal vegetable pickings are about to get slim. It didn’t help that I had just moved to the neighbourhood and that the market had only one more week before closing until spring.

It’s true that when all the vegetables start to fade for the year, those ugly-duckling root vegetables such as turnips and rutabagas demand attention, if only by default.

But you know how the ugly ducking story goes, right? And sure enough, turnips certainly can have appeal. As a member of the brassica family of vegetables (related to cabbage, kale, broccoli, cauliflower and more), turnips are plenty nutritious and so easy to cook. Quick, even. That is, if you even cook them.

Baby turnips, which don’t need peeling, can be sliced and eaten raw as you would a radish, but even the bigger ones (and turnips can get plenty big) can be peeled and grated for salads. Or you can braise, roast, glaze — or boil and mash them, of course.

When I got a couple of those big turnips home from the market, I looked around for ways to make a main course out of them, worrying that such a thing might be easier said than done. Then a treatment for turnip and potato patties with scallion greens turned up on SimplyRecipes.com, and I was hooked.

They don’t sound like a main course, you say? Well, once I decided to top them with a quick chickpea salsa, and to stack them next to greens, they did to me. Tasted like one, too.

Turnip and Potato Patties with Chickpea Salsa

4 to 6 servings (12 patties)

Turnips don’t have to be boring. They add a little bite to these patties, which are something of a cross between pancakes and latkes, crisp on the outside and creamy inside. The chickpea salsa adds protein — and a kick of heat, of course.

From Joe Yonan, author of Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes for the Single Cook (Ten Speed Press, 2013), based on a recipe at SimplyRecipes.com

Ingredients

Sea salt

450g turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

340g potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

6 scallions, trimmed

1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas (homemade or canned no-salt-added, from 1 can)

1/4 cup roasted red pepper strips, drained and finely chopped

1/2 jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

2 tbs fresh lime juice

1/2 cup flour

Freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

Vegetable oil, for frying

Steps

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the turnip and potato cubes; cook until tender, 10 to 15 minutes, then drain and transfer them to a mixing bowl to cool.

Meanwhile, thinly slice the scallions, keeping the green and white parts separate. Add the green parts to the mixing bowl with the turnips and potatoes.

Combine the white parts in a separate bowl with the chickpeas, red pepper, jalapeno, garlic, cilantro and lime juice. Season with salt to taste, and mix well.

Use a fork or potato masher to lightly mash the turnip mixture, leaving it a little chunky. Add the flour to the mash, plus salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the egg to form a batter.

Line a plate with paper towels.

Pour the oil to a depth of 1/4 inch in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, scoop out the batter using a 1/4-cup measure. Carefully drop three or four mounds into the skillet, or as many as will fit without overcrowding. Flatten each patty with a spatula to about 1/2 inch thick, and fry until deep golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Transfer the patties to the paper-towel-lined plate. Repeat with the remaining batter, working in batches, for a total of 12 patties.

Serve warm, topped with the chickpea salsa.

Nutrition Per serving (based on 6): 280 calories, 9g protein, 37g carbohydrates, 11g fat, 2g saturated fat, 70mg cholesterol, 75mg sodium, 6g dietary fibre, 6g sugar

— Washington Post