Getting to root of turnip’s versatility

Turnip and Potato Patties With Chickpea Salsa
Turnip and Potato Patties With Chickpea Salsa

Pity the poor turnip. So maligned, so misunderstood.

I’m guilty of such myself. Just recently, on a visit to a Fresh Farm Market, I muttered to myself at one farmer’s stand, “Well, I guess we’re getting down to turnips, aren’t we?” It was an exaggeration; I also bought kale, carrots, parsnips and more. It’s true that when all the sexier vegetables start to fade for the year, those ugly-duckling root vegetables like turnips and rutabagas demand attention, if only by default.

But you know how the ugly duckling 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.

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.

Turnip and Potato Patties With Chickpea Salsa

Sea salt

1 pound turnips, peeled and cut into ½ -inch cubes

12 ounces potato, peeled and cut into ½ -inch cubes

6 green onions, roots trimmed

1 ¾ cups cooked chickpeas (homemade or canned)

¼ cup roasted red pepper strips, drained and finely chopped

½ jalapeno pepper, stemmed seeded and chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

½ cup all-purpose flour

Ground black pepper

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Vegetable oil, for frying

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 green onion, 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 ¼ inch in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, scoop out the batter using a ¼ -cup measure.

Carefully drop three or four mounds into the skillet, or as many as will fit without touching once flattened. Flatten each patty with a spatula to about ½ 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.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Recipe adapted from SimplyRecipes.com

Food, Pages 38 on 02/05/2014

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