Google images tells me this is a rutabaga.
I always suspected the were the same thing, but apparently they are not.However what most people call a rutabaga, I call a turnip. Wikipedia tells me that the name turnip is also used in parts of Northern and Midland England, Ontario and Atlantic Canada
so that makes me feel a little bit better and for the purposes of this post, I'm going to keep calling a rutabaga a turnip... cause that's the way I roll.
To be honest, I had never tried turnip before this last Easter dinner. It's ALWAYS served at holiday dinners, but the smell always turned me off.
This year, for whatever reason, I decided to try my Uncle Arnie's turnip.
It was friggin' delicious. I suspect it was the plethora of butter and brown sugar that made me love it, but still, it was great.
In an effort to minimize the kazillion butter/brown sugar calories, I decided to try roasting it. I bought some pre-cut turnip and butternut squash, lightly tossed it in EVOO, S&P and roasted it for about 40 mins at 425. I'm happy to report, I still enjoyed it without all the added fat and sugar.
I'm happy to add this veggie to my roster.
My question: Am I the only one who was confused about the rutabaga vs turnip debate?
I don't think I've actually had a "real" turnip - just the Ontario version of a turnip!
5 comments:
I've always called it a turnip (the second photo) and it's one of my favs. In fact, I just had a huge helping of it with my lunch (leftover roast beef dinner with mashed potatoes, carrots & turnips). As a kid, it was always prepared with butter and brown sugar and served sweet, but as I blended with the newfs, they always just mash it with butter & S&P with Jigs dinner and I quite love it that way too, so now it's just becel S&P mashed from boiled.
I've tried those pre-cut turnip packs and I have to say they don't do it for me at all. I find they roast kind of tough kind of like the pre-cut edges get kind of dry from pre-prep?
They are the same, aren't they...but the first one is fresh out of the garden, and the second one has been waxed?
Didn't know there was a difference!
MFO
A traditional staple at our Xmas dinners is mashed turnips & carrots (boil then mash together with butter and s&p) but when I started working in a grocery store years ago I found out that what my Mom calls a turnip is actually a rutabaga. I like them both, but the turnip is lighter tasting and the rutabaga is a bit stronger...tastes like a root vegetable! I make fries out of both of them these days...cut into thick strips, toss with EVOO and bake.
I think over here (just to confuse you further), it's called a 'swede'. I had an argument with my mum-in-law over this... I always just thought they were plain old turnips. I love them though and a carrot/turnip mash IS delicious!
I always understood a rutabaga is a cross between a turnip and cabbage.
And they are Delicious! I roast them with beets,turnips,brussel sprouts, and carrots drizzled with greek olive oil salt pepper and add some balsamic vinegar...yummo!!
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