Turnips & Rutabaga
This crisp root vegetable resembles a large radish and has a similar peppery flavor. Small young turnips or “baby turnips” are called such when the roots harvested early in the growing stage. They are delicate, sweeter and eaten raw in salads. However, as they advance in age and maturity, their flavour becomes more pronounced and texture firm and woody. Rutabaga, another root vegetable, is closely related to turnips. Rutabagas are larger, more round, mostly feature yellow color flesh, and sweeter than turnips.
Health Benefits: Turnips are very low calorie root vegetables; contains only 28 calories per 100 g. However, they are very good source of anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins and dietary fiber. Fresh roots are indeed one of the vegetables rich in vitamin C; provide about 21mg or 35% of DRA of vitamin C per 100 g. Vitamin-C is a powerful water-soluble anti-oxidant required by the body for synthesis of collagen. It also helps the body scavenge harmful free radicals, prevents from cancers, inflammation, and helps boost immunity. Turnip greens indeed are the storehouse of many vital nutrients; contain certain minerals and vitamins several fold more than that in the roots. The greens are very rich in antioxidants like vitamin A, vitamin C, carotenoid, xanthin, and lutein. In addition, the leafy-tops are an excellent source of vitamin K. In addition, its top greens are also a very good source of B-complex group of vitamins such as folates, riboflavin, pyridoxine, pantothenic acid and thiamin. Furher, the fresh greens are also excellent sources of important minerals like calcium, copper, iron and manganese.
How to Select: Look for roots with perky greens attached, which are edible, too. Turnips taste best when they're very fresh, so choose small to medium ones with taut purple or white skin (large mature turnips are more pungent).
How to Store: Refrigerate in a plastic bag, up to 3 days.
How to Cook: Turnips are often boiled but are also great raw: Slice into matchsticks or shred them and add to salads or slaws for crunch. Try roasted or steamed turnips tossed with butter or olive oil and herbs for a simple side, mashed like potatoes, or pureed into creamy soups. Cook diced turnips into winter stews or braised dishes. Saute or boil the greens as a side dish.