As I have previously shared, we have been doing gardening by way of containers. Each year we grow many of the same things, but we usually try something new. One of this year’s new items is turnips, and I am very surprised that they are growing exceedingly well. I have never attempted to grow turnips before, and I am amazed at how fast they grow as well as how large they are able to get in our containers.

I discovered a year or two ago that mashed potatoes with turnips are totally awesome, and have since been trying to figure out how else I can enjoy turnips. I confess that so far I have had little success. I’ve tried roasting them, but they turn out too sweet – I enjoy turnips for their spice, not their sugar. I tried making a turnip soup, but it was not very good (I took pictures and had every intention of posting the recipe, but after tasting it I decided against it). I found several recipes that said that creamed turnips were quite good, so I decided to try that as well.

Creamed Turnips

• 2 pounds turnip roots, peeled and cubed
• 2 tablespoons vegan butter
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried dill

First, if you’ve harvested your very own turnips, wash them then gaze adoringly at them.

Tear the leaves off, peel, then cube the turnips. Put them into a pot of boiling water and let them boil until tender enough to mash (about 15 to 20 minutes).

Drain and rinse the tender turnip cubes under cold water and then put them into a medium sized bowl and mash.

You may need to blend them up in a food processor to make sure that they are fully mashed (I had to).

Once it is mashed add the butter, which should melt if the turnips are still warm from being boiled. Stir in the salt and dill. Taste test to make sure it is at the flavor you want. It may taste a little bland, in which case I’d suggest adding other spices like garlic or onion powder.

Since you can utilize the entire turnip, not just the root, I am including another recipe that incorporates turnip leaves.

Quinoa (say it with me – keen-wah), has a mild and nutty flavor that enjoys the companionship of something like turnip leaves (you can also use collard greens, kale, or probably even spinach). If you’re afraid to use quinoa, it is actually quite easy to use and is cooked in only a matter of minutes. I dare you to make it solely on the basis that it has a funny name that is not pronounced phonetically.

Quinoa with Turnip Greens and Toasted Almonds

• 1 cup quinoa, sorted and rinsed (it is very important to rinse quinoa prior to cooking it otherwise it will taste bitter)
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 bunch turnip greens, chopped
• 1/4 cup almonds, toasted and chopped

Rinse your quinoa well, then cook it according to package directions.

As your quinoa is cooking, saute your onion in the olive oil for a few minutes.

After the onion has been sauteing for a few minutes, add the chopped turnip greens and cook until they are wilted.

Once the quinoa is done, drain and rinse, then add to the onions and turnip greens and cook for a few minutes more, but make sure you keep an eye on it because otherwise the quinoa will stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.

Once it is done cooking serve with toasted almonds sprinkled on top. I typically just toast my almonds under the broiler of my toaster oven for about 7 to 10 minutes, then I chop them up into smaller pieces.

The verdict? Well, the creamed turnips were actually pretty good, but I still like my turnips best in mashed potatoes. I’m still on the hunt for a good turnip recipe, so if you know of any fantastic ones let me know.

The quinoa was good. I like greens, so the turnip greens were a nice addition. I think what helps to complete this dish, however, are the toasted almonds. They add extra nuttiness, and I like the contrasting texture with the crunch.

More than anything I find it so incredibly satisfying to use vegetables from my own garden, and I totally love the fact that most of the turnip is used. It’s a feeling of pride, accomplishment, and sustainability. It’s a feeling I’d love to replicate a hundred-fold when we eventually have our own land. Excuse me as I go and daydream for a bit. :)

Our community supported agriculture (CSA) season ended just this last week, and we received both turnips and rutabagas for the first (and last) time. Since rutabagas are similar to turnips I also used them this time around. I think turnips tend to have a little bit more of a kick, though, so normally I would use only turnips. The mashed potatoes still turned out lovely and I really have no complaints.

This is a recipe that has become less of a recipe, so the following is more of an approximation of what I did.

Mashed Potatoes with Turnips/Rutabagas

• 5 – 7 large potatoes of your choosing, peeled and quartered
• 2 – 3 turnips and/or rutabagas, peeled and quartered
• 1/2 large onion, peeled and chopped
• 5 large cloves of garlic, peeled
• Salt
• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 3 – 5 Tbsp. mayonnaise or Vegenaise
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1/2 – 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Place the potatoes and turnips/rutabagas into a large pot and cover with water. After they have been boiling for a few minutes (5 – 10 minutes) add the onion and garlic cloves. Boil until the turnips are tender (note that you may want to start boiling the turnips first and then add the potatoes later as the turnips will take longer to soften).

Drain the potatoes, turnips, onions, and garlic cloves and pour into a large bowl (or back into the pan). Add salt (this will be to taste), butter, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper. Either mash the ingredients together with a potato masher (more lumps) or get out a hand mixer and mix until it is at the consistency you prefer. Taste it to see if it has a good flavor and adjust the seasonings until it is how you want it.

Vegan Gravy
Taken from AllRecipes.com and originally called Vegetarian Gravy

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (I did not use 1/2 cup – more like 1/4 cup)
• 1/3 cup chopped onion
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 4 tsp. nutritional yeast
• 4 Tbsp. light soy sauce (I used Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)
• 2 cups vegetable broth (I used 2 cups of water with 1 heaping Tbsp. McKay’s Chicken Seasoning)
• 1/2 tsp. dried sage (I didn’t use this because I don’t think I had any on hand.)
• 1/2 tsp. salt (I didn’t use this because the chicken seasoning and the liquid aminos were already providing enough sodium)
• 1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour, nutritional yeast, and soy sauce to form a smooth paste. Gradually whisk in the broth. Season with sage, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring constantly, until thickened.

The recipe said that once you reduce the heat you should stir it for another 8-10 minutes. My gravy did not take that long to thicken at all, so I would actually shorten that time to 2-3 minutes.

Both the mashed potatoes and the gravy turned out really well. When I was seasoning the potatoes and trying to achieve the perfect flavor I realized that I was trying to get it to taste more like potato salad. It didn’t taste exactly like potato salad, but even if it had I would have still loved it.

There are still some turnips and rutabagas sitting in my kitchen, so I am sure to make this recipe again in the very near future.

More Thanksgiving recipes to come in the next few days!