Anyhow, have you been eating any good Persian food lately? I ran into a neighbor of mine who has been kid of inspired to follow my blog and eat Persian food. She and her husband were so excited to let me know - that while out of town - they dined at a Persian restaurant and their 18-month old also loved it. Made me so proud.
You might remember that Fall is one of my favorite seasons. When I go to my local farmers' market, I pick up a lot of fall vegetables. I tend to make a lot of soups during this time of year with whatever vegetable I have in hand. However, one vegetable that I simply steam and eat as a snack is one of the least favored one by most people: TURNIP. You have to trust me on this one. I know it may not smell all that pleasant, especially while cooking it, but it will taste great if you just follow my suggestion.
Turnip is a root vegetable. The most common type is white-skinned except from the upper part which protrude above the ground and are purple, red or greenish wherever sunlight has fallen. The interior flesh is all white. The leaves grow directly from the above-ground shoulder of the root. Turnip leaves
are sometimes eaten as "turnip greens", and they resemble mustard greens in flavor. Very small turnips - also called baby turnips - are specialty varieties. These are only available when freshly harvested. Their flavor is mild, so they can be eaten raw in salads like radishes and other vegetables. Turnip's root is high in vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant and also acts an anti-inflammatory; the green leaves are a good source of vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K and calcium.
Fresh Turnips
Now that you are all educated about turnip (thanks to wikipedia.org), I can tell you how I ate it growing up. I remember that I never liked having turnips due to the scent that they have. It automatically turned me off which I can understand why some people refrain from eating them. But as I grew older, I tended to really enjoy them. My mother used to buy the baby ones, slice them thin in a shallow bowl, add a little salt and vinegar, let them sit (tightly covered) in the fridge for a little bit and then serve them. They were really good. The vinegar really took out that bitterness out but left the peppery flavor in. This was usually served with our salad and whatever meal we were having. It had a very fresh flavor of a pickled vegetable which was commonly made in my house.
Another way that turnip was offered in my house on a fall afternoon, was in a steamed form. Here's how to make and consume them!
Steamed Turnips
Bunch
of smallish-medium sized turnips (about 4-5 turnips) – cleaned & washed
with the skin on
¾
Cup water
Pinch
of sea salt
Pinch
of freshly ground pepper
Freshly
squeezed lemon juice
Steaming Turnips
Put the turnips out on a plate to cool. Once they reach room temperature cut them in small wedges. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, salt and pepper. Eat immediately!
Steamed Turnips
I recently offered this "mid-day snack" to out sitter. She politely refused to try it, but changed her mind after I asked her how she had it before... She actually enjoyed it and said that she didn't think the simple seasoning could make a difference! There you have it - I actually converted her to like turnips with my simple seasoning :)
Enjoy your week.
