Turnips

Creamy root soup

1 medium or 2 small gilfeather turnips
2-3 yukon gold potatoes
2 carrots
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbs. butter or olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 c. vegetable stock
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
½ c. milk or cream
fresh parsley for garnish (optional)

Peel the turnips (and potatoes if desired), and cut the turnips, potatoes and carrots into bite size pieces. Heat the oil or butter in a large soup pot. Add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the roots and the garlic and sauté a few minutes more. Add the vegetable stock and the salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and simmer until the roots are very tender, about 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Transfer about 3 cups of the soup to a blender and blend until smooth. Then return blended portion of the soup to the pot and mix well. Simmer another 10 minutes, thinning with water to the desired consistency, and adding more salt and pepper if needed. Add milk or cream just before serving, and garnish with chopped parsley. Serves 4-6.

Mashed Potatoes and Turnips

4 medium potatoes, cubed
2 medium turnips, peeled and cubed
¼ c. milk
2 tbs. butter
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
2 tbs. chopped parsley (optional)

Put chopped vegetables in a saucepan with water to cover them. Bring to a boil a simmer for 20 minutes, until vegetable are very tender. Drain and mash with a potato masher or fork. Add remaining ingredients and stir until well combined, making sure butter is melted. Serves 4-6.

Spicy Root Vegetable Fries

3 lbs. root vegetables, any combination of the following: turnips, potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and beets
2 tbs. olive oil
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. paprika
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel turnips. You can either leave the skins on the other roots or peel them off. Cut roots into French-fry sized sticks, about ½ an inch by 4 inches. Put roots in a large bowl and toss with oil to coat them. Sprinkle on other seasonings and mix until they evenly cover the roots. Place roots onto a large baking sheet, and bake uncovered for about 20 minutes, until they are very tender and crispy. Serve immediately. Serves 6-8.