Turnips with Garlic and Black Cumin

I've been meaning to make this recipe for a while to help take care of the last of the CSA turnips. This is a simple recipe that would be great as a vegetarian main, but does require a bit of simmering time. The flavour of black cumin is a bit different than regular cumin (less sweaty old man tasting), so I'm not sure how well a substitute would work, but you're welcome to try. The sauce is thin, so be sure to pair it with some rice.

Turnips with Garlic and Black Cumin (from 660 Curries)


Ingredients
1 tsp black cumin seeds
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 dried red Thai or cayenne chiles, stems removed
2 tbsp canola oil
680g turnips, peeled and cut into 2" cubes
1 1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 cup firmly packed mint leaves, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1. Combine cumin seeds, garlic, and chiles in a mortar and pound into a pulpy, gritty paste.
2. Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add paste and stir-fry until garlic browns and chiles are pungent, 1 - 2 minutes.
3. Stir in turnips, reduce heat to medium, and cover skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until turnips brown, 5 - 8 minutes.
4. Pour in 1 cup water, salt, and turmeric. Scrape skillet to deglaze. Once liquid boils, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally until turnips are tender-crisp, 20 - 25 minutes.
5. Fold in mint and cilantro and simmer, uncovered, for 5 - 8 minutes. Serve.

Tender Braised Lamb with Turnips and Mint

I scooped up some lamb that was on sale right after Easter. With turnips wasting away in the fridge thanks to the CSA box, this seemed like the perfect dish. I was a bit concerned that the herbs in this dish would be overwhelming, but the end result was excellent with just a hint of heat from the dried chiles. Make sure you have some naan or something else to soak up the extra sauce.

Tender Braised Lamb with Turnips and Mint (from 660 Curries)

Ingredients
6 tbsp mustard oil or canola oil
450g turnips, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1 large red onion, cut in half and thinly sliced
5 large cloves garlic, chopped
4 lengthwise slices ginger (2"x1"x1/8"), chopped
500g boneless leg of lamb, fat trimmed and discarded, cut into 1" cubes
4 black cardamom pods
1 tbsp Bin bhuna hua garam masala
2 tsp coarse salt
1 cup firmly packed mint
3 dried red Thai or cayenne chiles, stems removed
1 large tomato, peeled, cored, and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add turnips and stir-fry until light brown around edge, 5 - 8 minutes. Transfer to plate.
2. Add 2 tbsp oil to same pan and heat over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and ginger and stir-fry until honey-brown, 8 - 10 minutes. Transfer to blender.
3. Add 1 cup water to blender and puree into smooth paste.
4. Heat remaining 2 tbsp oil in pan over medium heat. Add lamb and cardamom and cook, stirring until browned, 15 minutes.
5. Add onion paste, garam masala, and salt to pan. Cover and braise, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, add mint and chiles to mortar. Pound into pasty blend. Add tomato a few pieces at a time and pound into paste until it's all incorporated.
7. Add mint mixture, turnips, and cilantro to pan. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally until turnips and lamb are tender, 15 - 20 minutes.

Skillet-Roasted Potatoes and Turnips with Smashed Garlic

The boy made this while I was out of town and was kind enough to share some of the leftovers with me. He paired this with an oxtail dish, but to be honest, I liked the veggies more than the oxtail. It amazes me how much flavour roasted vegetables can have. I would've sworn this had more ingredients, but no, it's deceptively simple.

One year ago: Sesame Chicken
Two years ago: Coconut Red Lentil Soup

Skillet-Roasted Potatoes and Turnips with Smashed Garlic (from Cook This Now)

Ingredients
450g potatoes (Yukon Gold recommended), cut into 3/4" cubes
450g turnips (golden recommended), cut into 3/4" cubes
2 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp coarse salt
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
3 unpeeled garlic cloves, smashed
2 bay leaves

1. Preheat oven to 325. In large cast-iron skillet, toss together all ingredients.
2. Transfer skillet to oven and cook, mixing every 20 minutes until vegetables are golden and tender, about 1.5 hours.

Beets and Turnips in Sweet Caper Butter

I may be cheating by using March's cookbook of the month a couple of weeks early, but what a delicious way to use up some beets and turnips!

Beets and Turnips in Sweet Caper Butter (from The Olive and the Caper)

Ingredients
2 bunches beets (680g), tops removed
4 medium turnips, peeled and cut into 1/4" wedges
4 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp capers
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill (I used fennel fronds)
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

1. Rinse beets, place in saucepan, and add water. Bring to boil over high heat, reduce to simmer until tender, 35 - 50 minutes. Drain, let cool, peel, and cut into 1/4" wedges.
2. Meanwhile, bring another pot of water to boil, add turnips, and simmer until tender, 5 minutes. Drain.
3. Place butter, sugar, capers, and dill in clean pot over medium-high heat. When butter foams, add beets and turnips, stir to coat, and reheat for 2 minutes.
4. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

Black Radish Soup in Roasted Acorn Squash

We started a CSA basket last week and it's been fun trying to cook our way through the mystery vegetables. After a quick inspection, we thought we had beets and I was happy to discover a recipe that used beets, apples, and squash ... all of which we had in abundance. However, once I began cleaning the beets, I realized something was amiss. The black dirt just didn't seem to want to come off! After roasting, I cut into them and noticed a distinct lack of red colour. They weren't beets at all, but black turnips. Beet soup became black radish soup. I was a bit concerned that the taste would be a bit too strong, but it mellowed nicely. The other major change I made was to use a mirepoix instead of just onion as the soup flavour baste, roast the turnips initially, and scaling down the recipe (although the original proportions are below).

One year ago: Cauliflower Gratin

Black Radish Soup in Roasted Acorn Squash (adapted from epicurious.com, originally Gourmet)

Ingredients
For roasted squash
8 (1- to 1 1/4-pound) acorn squash
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
For soup
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped carrots
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds without greens black radish, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 red apple such as Gala or Braeburn, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
4 to 5 cups water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Cut off "tops" of squash (about 1 inch from stem end) and reserve. Scoop out seeds and discard. Brush "bowls" and tops all over with oil and sprinkle salt inside. Arrange squash bowls, with tops alongside, stem ends up, in 2 large shallow baking pans.
3. Wrap radishes in a foil packet.
4. Roast squash until flesh of squash is just tender, about 1 1/4hours total. Roast radishes for 30 minutes.
5. After radishes have finished, peel and coarsely chop them.
6. Cook onion, carrots, and celery in oil in a 5-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened.
7. Add beets and apple and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
8. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
9. Add broth and 4 cups water, then simmer, uncovered, until radishes are tender, about 40 minutes.
10. Stir in vinegar and brown sugar.
11. Purée soup using an immersion blender until very smooth. Season with salt and pepper. If soup is too thick, add enough water to thin to desired consistency.
12. Serve soup in squash bowls.