Turnips!

Thursday was the first week of the 2010 farm share. Things are a little different this year. Scott and Tricia (the farmers who grow the food we eat) opened up a mercantile in Kirkwood where members, in addition to picking up their farm share there, can purchase additional locally grown and humanely raised beef, pork, chickens, dairy products, baked goods, and other pantry staples.

The reason I mention this is because I am helping them out a little bit. I'm manning the store on Thursday afternoons and it was really interesting to interact with all of the other people who were picking up their shares. Anyway, as one member picked up her share she said something like, "I have never had a turnip. I don't know what to do with those." I told her that they were great mashed (like potatoes) or roasted. She told me that she didn't know how to roast. So I thought I would share my roasting technique for those who have never learned how. I'm also throwing in a similar recipe for grilled spring onions.

Roasted Turnips
turnips
olive oil
salt & pepper
thyme

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Scrub turmips. (I don't peel the turnips from the farm share. There's no weird wax coating on them.) Cut turnip into uniform pieces. Drizzle with olive oil, a little S&P and fresh thyme. Toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes, flipping them around the 10 minute mark.

Grilled Spring Onions

spring onions

olive oil

salt & pepper

Rinse and trim onions. Drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper. Toss to coat.

Place them on a hot grill over direct heat for about a minute. Flip and grill another minute.

I garnish the turnips with a little bit of fresh parsley. Roasting gives them a nice chewy outside while keeping the inside tender.

Some nice char marks on the onions.

The nice thing about super fresh vegetables is that they don't require a ton of herbs and spices or fancy preparation. This is my favorite time of the year. When I can enjoy the taste of fresh, simply prepared ingredients straight from Missouri farms.