T is for Turnip - or Rutabaga

 

Sorry about the delay. Before we started on turnips, we had to clear up some confusion. Are turnips different to swedes? After consulting several gardeners I was told that the swede is in fact a Swedish turnip. In America they are known as rutabaga. To add to the confusion, in Scotland the swede is often referred to as a turnip or neep. I found a fascinating book by Marwood Yeatman, ‘The Last Food of England. He writes that swedes are ‘the product of an accidental cross with cabbage’, arriving in England in the 1800's. So there was much relief in our house as this means we can deal with Swede turnips at the same time as any other turnips: two for the price of one. Freddie and I went to the supermarket to buy our turnips. We took a strong hessian bag and planned to take the bus back home. But when we eventually found our turnips, we were surprised. These were dainty little creatures, with pale skin and a tinge of purple around the top - small enough to fit in the palm of Freddie’s hand. We bought a bag full. Next to them were the larger, dark yellow swedes. Even they looked small compared with the cannon balls I remember as a child. For our first turnip I used the swede. Freddie had tried swede before and hadn’t liked it. How do you turn something like Swede into something that looks like fast food? I cut it into thin sticks tossed them in olive oil and a little sea salt and baked them in the oven for 20 minutes. There is a point every evening, about 20 minutes before supper is ready, when the children come in and hunt for snacks. I shoo them out of the kitchen.

 

I left the turnip fries, arranged them in a ramekin and left them on the kitchen table. At snacking time, Alex and Freddie came in. They scurried around like mice looking for scraps and discovered the turnip fries. Freddie thought they were potato fries. I said nothing and pretended not to notice. When they were finished I asked him for his score. “Those were made from swede?” said Freddie. “That is definitely ten out of ten.” Turnip - the ultimate fast food!
Oven-baked Swede Fries
Serves 4 as a side dish

2 swede turnips or rutabaga
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon of sea salt

Preheat the oven to 200C. Peel the swedes and cut in half. Slice each half into even slices, 1.5 cm thick. Then slice those into sticks, like French fries. Place them on a baking tray and add the olive oil. Mix round with your hands so that the swede sticks are well-coated. Sprinkle the sea salt over evenly. Place in the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes. Half way through cooking, take out the tray and turn the sticks with a fish-slice so that both sides cook. Take care to make sure the fries become crispy but do not burn. Serve hot with some ketchup for dipping.