While ice and snow have covered the region and the grocery stores have been stripped of milk and bread, I’ve been trying to stay warm (and safe), and of course, it wouldn’t be a proper snow day without a new food creation of some kind!  And Mardi Gras is just around the corner.  I won’t be going, but my food thoughts tend to center around social events quite a bit, and once you’ve thought of some good Creole dishes, what’s a girl to do but come up with something good to eat… with turnips…

Eek! Turnips?  Usually, it’s something like chili and hot chocolate on a day like today.  But isn’t it fun to pull out some of the long-forgotten, valuable foods to do something creative?  In our world of cheese balls, chicken wings, Crock-pot meals (I love my Crock-pot!), and the newfound love for cauliflower-anything, it’s refreshing to revive the oldies but goodies. Kind of like getting in the attic and going through boxes of memories, only a little different.

I have to say, turnips aren’t the typical fare in my kitchen, and it’s been many years since I’ve eaten them, so I wasn’t fully sure what to do with them.  My mom grew up having them, but aside from the greens, they didn’t really make a stronghold in our usual dinner rotation when I was a kid.  The neat thing is, we had a super mild winter here, and just this week, one of my coworkers went home in our cold weather and pulled me some from his garden–wow! In January! What a fantastic growing season we’ve had, not to mention what a good friend he is!

Turnips actually have a pretty interesting history. The quick story is that they originate in Europe and have long been used in cuisine there.  Most notably, they were once grown only for livestock fodder, but in a tough winter of the World War I era, they sustained animals and humans alike, as meat and potatoes were scarce.  I should do a whole post on that topic one day… yes?

Nutritionally, turnips are packed with Vitamin C and many other antioxidants. A root vegetable, they are rich in sulforaphane, which may be best known for its cancer-fighting ability.  The greens are every bit as nutritious as the root, containing plenty of phytochemicals, including folate.  In other words, you want to get turnips into your body!

So today, as I was all bundled up shoveling snow to no avail (it was pouring out of the sky in big amounts), I kept thinking of what I had on hand to cook once I got back inside.  I knew I had Portobello caps and potatoes.  That pretty much decided it.  While I definitely could’ve gotten more creative with this given more planning, I certainly enjoyed it over a phone conversation with my dad while I asked him questions about one of our traditional salads–hint: some foreshadowing of something awesome to come! (wink, wink)

While only Creole-inspired, this fulfilling dish of Portobello mushroom, mashed potatoes with turnips, and salad greens with a balsamic drizzle was light and warm, but still keeps me dreaming of New Orleans fare. So…are you ready to turnip the heat, because, baby, it’s COLD outside!

Isn’t this a beautiful bowl of turnips?

Creole Turnip Mashed Potatoes over a Portobello Mushroom Cap

What you’ll need:

2-3 Portobello caps

5-6 small/med potatoes, peeled and quartered

2 medium-sized turnips, chopped

Salad Greens of your choice

Creole seasoning

Butter

Unsweetened Almond milk (or milk of your choice)

Salt/Pepper

Balsamic Vinegar (I used a Fig & Date Balsamic Vinegar)

1. Heat oven to 350 and place caps stem-side down on a pan covered with aluminum foil & lightly sprayed with olive oil (I love my Misto for this!)  Roast this way for about 10 min.
2. While the mushrooms get going, cover potatoes with water and boil until fork-tender
3. Cover turnips with water and season with Creole seasoning, salt and pepper and anything else you want to season with–remember, have fun and experiment if you want! Boil until fork tender
4. Drain potatoes and add 2T of butter and enough milk to make it the texture you like (approx. 1/2 c., or a little more) and mash.
5. Add turnips and mash together.  You can add salt/pepper to taste and can add Blackened seasoning or more Creole seasoning as you like.
6. Place salad greens on plate, place Portobello cap on top, and then top with mashed potato/turnip mixture.
7. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.
8. Enjoy the heck out of it..

Yes, the Portobello cap is under all these lovely mashed potatoes! Yum!

Let me hear about how you enjoy spending a snow day!  I’m sharing some pictures from my winter garden!  And if you’re attending Mardi Gras or enjoying some rich, flavorful regional foods, maybe you’ll think of turnips, too!

Totally encased in ice. Gorgeous!

Jane Magnolia that my mom gave me.

Dill seedhead frozen over.

Make happy memories in your kitchen this week!