Don't Fear the Rutabaga!  

Rutabagas like turnips can be eaten raw in a salad or cooked up alone or in a stew/vegetable saute/soup/root mash, etc. Also they can be part of roasted vegetables. Rutabagas can be large and intimidating to home cooks who haven't prepared them before. The short course: wash the rutabaga well & peel. Grate raw into a salad, or steam and dot with butter, salt and pepper. That's the short course for many vegetables, these are no exception!

Steamed or boiled Rutabaga

(or turnip): First Steam the rutabagas, 1/2 inch cubes will take 30-35 minutes. (boil the rutabagas in 1/2 inch cubes: it will take 20-25 minutes)

*In Butter : Prepare as above and roll in melted butter. Season to taste with S & P and finish with chopped fresh herbs. You can combine rutabaga with turnips if you like.

*With Onions in Broth : Steam or boil rutabaga or turnips to just barely tender. Cool and slice. Sauté sliced onions (1/2 cup per pound of roots)(or leeks, or green garlic, or...) In 1 T butter until wilted. Lightly sprinkle onions with flour, cook together for 2 minutes, remove from heat, and stir in beef or chicken broth (1/4 cup per pound of rutabaga/turnips), return to heat, season, and fold in drained roots. Cook together until just tender. Add more broth if needed.

*Mashed Rutabaga : Mash or puree 2 pounds rutabaga or turnips with 2 T butter and 2-3 T sour cream or heavy cream (optional). Season with Salt an Pepper.   Another option: combine with mashed potatoes.

Raw Rutabaga Salad

1 whole rutabaga, peeled
1 orange
1/4 cup raisins

Grate the rutabaga on a mandolin or large side of a grater, put the strips to a bowl. Peel the orange and cut it into 2 cm (about 2/3 inch) wide pieces and mix the juicy pieces with rutabaga. Add some raisins. Vegan, healthy, crunchy, and juicy.

Roasted Honeyed Rutabagas
For each large rutabaga: peel and cut into 3/4 inch pieces (approx). Melt 3 T butter with 3 T honey in a medium saucepan, (can use a very light oil such as safflower if you're either vegan or just trying to live without butter).

  Toss the turnips with the butter/honey in the same pan, then arrange in one layer in a large jelly roll pan and bake in the oven (400 degrees) for 15 minutes, then stir with a long wooden spoon, and continue baking until golden brown and looking yummy and ready to eat.

Source: Mariquita Farm