An Array of Rutabaga Recipes


rutabaga

rutabaga from the Park Slope Farmers Market in Brooklyn, New York, Feb. 27, 2011

Rutabaga Latke
Rutabaga Chips
Roasted Rutabagas
Butternut Squash Rutabaga Puree
Finnish Rutabaga Casserole

Rutabagas are one of those weird forgotten crops — quinces and cardoons, anyone? — that are making a comeback in culinarily adventurous precincts. They are, for one thing, a crop that can readily be provided by nearby farmers, even in frosty climes in the dead of winter. Locavores, therefore, are among those who have taken the lead in rediscovering this Old World root crop. Pioneering chefs on the lookout for something new and local to put on their menus have also come up with some creative ways to use rutabagas. As Los Angeles chef Mary Sue Milliken put it in a 1996 interview, “It’s easy for chefs to get excited about rutabagas.” In a 2009 interview, Steven Abronovich, a chef in Hardwick, Vermont, told of a creamy rutabaga-apple soup that flies off his winter menu. Here are five recipes that you can experiment with.


Rutabaga Latke [top]

3 medium rutabagas, peeled and coarsely grated
½ cup finely chopped onion
2 eggs
3 tablespoons matzo meal or flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Mix in rutabaga and onion.

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. In batches, drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the potato mixture into the skillet. Press to flatten. Cook for several minutes on each side, until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels.


Rutabaga Chips [top]

3 medium rutabagas
2 tablespoon olive oil
Paprika (optional)
Salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Peel and cut the rutabagas into quarter-inch thick slices. Toss slices in a bowl with the olive oil to coat.

3. Spread slices on a baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste, and paprika if desired. Bake for 30 minutes or until brown, turning once at 15 minutes.


Roasted Rutabagas [top]

1 pound rutabagas
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup low-fat, reduced sodium chicken broth
½ teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel and cut rutabaga into half-inch thick slices.

2. Steam the rutabagas over boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain.

3. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add rutabagas and sugar. Cook for 6 minutes.

4. Add broth, rosemary, salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, uncovered until rutabagas are tender.

Source: Center for Nutrition, Diet and Health, University of the District of Columbia


Rutabaga-Butternut Squash Puree [top]

2 medium butternut squash, sliced in half lengthwise
1 large rutabaga, peeled and chopped coarsely
1 onion, chopped finely
2 large garlic cloves, pressed
1 teaspoon nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Peel the rutabaga, chop roughly and boil in salted water (to just cover) until tender, for about 20 minutes.

2. Cut the squash lengthwise, scoop out seeds, and baked on a baking sheet for about 45 minutes.

3. Saute the chopped onion for about five minutes, adding the garlic for the last minute.

4. When the squash is done, scoop out the flesh and mash in a bowl with the drained rutabaga and onion-garlic mixture.


Finnish Rutabaga Casserole [top]

2 medium rutabagas, peeled and diced (about 6 cups)
⅓ cups fine dry bread crumbs
¼ cup cream
½ teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons brown sugar (optional)
3 tablespoons butter

1. Cook turnips until soft (about 20 minutes) in salted water to cover. Drain and mash.

2. Soak breadcrumbs in cream and stir in nutmeg, salt and beaten eggs. Combine
with mashed turnips.

3. Add brown sugar (if using) to the beaten eggs before adding to turnips. Turn into a buttered casserole dish, dot the top with butter, and bake in a moderate oven 350º F. for 1 hour or until lightly browned on top.

Source: University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service