Ingredient: Turnips
Category: Vegetables
Season: All
The turnip (Brassica rapa var. rapa) is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, bulbous taproot.
Small, tender, varieties are grown for human consumption , while larger varieties are grown as feed for livestock.
The most common type of turnip is mostly white-skinned apart from the upper 1–6 centimeters, which protrude above the ground and are purple, red, or greenish wherever sunlight has fallen. This above-ground part develops from stem tissue, but is fused with the root.
The interior flesh is entirely white. The entire root is roughly conical, but occasionally squircle in shape, about 5–20 centimeters in diameter, and lacks side roots.
The taproot (the normal root below the swollen storage root) is thin and 10 centimeters or more in length; it is trimmed off before marketing.
The leaves grow directly from the above-ground shoulder of the root, with little or no visible crown or neck (as found in swede (rutabagas)).
Turnip leaves are sometimes eaten, and resemble mustard greens; varieties specifically grown for the leaves resemble mustard greens more than those grown for the roots, with small or no storage roots.
Varieties of Brassica Rapa that have been developed only for use as leaves are called “Chinese cabbage”.
Both leaves and root have a pungent flavour, similar to raw cabbage or radishes that becomes mild after cooking.
To prepare turnips:
Use a potato peeler or knife, peel off the outer skin (precisely the same way as a potato), but slicing off the root end first.
Cut the turnip into suitably sized chunks or slices. |