In The Kitchen Garden With Farmgirl Susan: Lowly Turnips Are Tip Top

Baby Golden Turnips In My Winter Garden

That patch of ground you carefully tend may still be frozen solid right now, but avid gardeners know that this is the most influential gardening time of the year. And for obsessed gardeners like me, it can also be the most expensive. It's time to order seeds.

Starting plants from seed (be they edible or decorative) opens up an endless world of propagating possibilities to gardeners. Hundreds of companies offer thousands of varieties of seeds from around the world, all for an extremely reasonable couple of dollars a packet. This means, in theory, that you can fill your garden with a much more interesting assortment of plants that is offered at the local nursery for a lot less money. In theory. The bargain price of seeds is almost a disadvantage--they're too good of a deal. It is impossible to only order a few packets. Curled up inside a warm and cozy house on a snowy afternoon, surrounded by piles of seed catalogs full of enticing descriptions, it is easy to believe that you will somehow find the space and time to grow all those exotic offerings. It is also easy to pass by some of the classic mainstays of the garden, like turnips.

Many people do not eat turnips, nor do they grow them or ever even think about them. These people are missing out, for I have discovered that turnips, a member of the cruciferous vegetable family, are not only one of the easiest vegetables to grow, but that with very little effort (and no outlay of cash beyond the initial cost of the seeds, currently $1.35 for 600 seeds from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds) they will also reward you with bounty throughout the year. Here's how.

Several years ago I thickly sowed hundreds of plain old Purple Top White Globe turnip seeds in mid summer, when the optimum soil temperature for germination of 80 degrees F was no problem. The productive Purple Top turnip was a popular market variety in the U.S. back in the 1800s, and it has since become the standard American turnip. (Other interesting heirloom turnips that are still available today include Golden Globe, White Egg, Ideal Purple Top Milan, Snowball, Bianca Piatta, Navet des Vertus Marteau, and Amber Globe.)

Within a few weeks, I had tender, nutrient-packed greens to toss into salads. Turnip greens are, in fact, one of The World's Healthiest Foods. Turnip bulbs are a good source of vitamin C and have two to three grams of fiber per serving. They also contain the potent phytochemical sulforaphane, which has been shown to protect against cancer, especially breast cancer.

At this point I mulched around the plants with grass clippings to discourage weeds--the only work ever required. A few weeks later I picked darling baby turnips that I peeled, simmered in water until soft, and then mashed by hand. Seasoned with nothing but salt, pepper and a lump of butter, they were absolutely delicious. (This tasty early harvest also helped to thin out the remaining plants, allowing them more space to grow.)

As the days progressed, the larger greens were steamed and then sauteed with olive oil and garlic (stir in some chopped lean bacon for a little Southern flavor). My Slow Food friend, Laurie (who recently began a love affair with turnip greens), says "the secret is that cooking them a very, very long time makes them much milder." You can also sneak turnip greens into soups, such as my Use It Or Lose It Lentil & Escarole Soup (in place of, or in addition to, the escarole), my  Hearty Lentil Soup With Smoked Sausage, or a thick curried lentil soup.

The bulbs were peeled, cut into chunks, and tossed into soups and stews (try them in place of--or in addition to--potatoes in any recipe) or simmered and mashed as described above with potatoes. The turnips will need to cook about 10 minutes longer than the potatoes. You may never be able to eat plain mashed potatoes again after tasting these. You can also mix the cooked greens into mashed potatoes.

There are numerous other ways to enjoy turnips. You can roast them with whole cloves of garlic. You can slice raw baby turnips and toss them into salads as you would radishes. Or you can thinly slice and stir-fry medium size turnips, with or without some of the chopped greens. You can even grate raw small turnips and mix them into your favorite slaw.

Cynthia, a gardener and nutrition educator for Cooperative Extension in southern California, teaches an entire class about turnips and says that her Grated Turnip & Apple Salad is always a surprise favorite. This simple recipe was inspired by Thai Green Papaya Salad: Simply shred 2 peeled turnips and 2 peeled green apples and mix together, then add the juice of 1/2 a lemon or lime, a handful of chopped cilantro, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 minced jalapeno or serrano chile (optional), & 1 Tablespoon of oil. Salt & pepper to taste. The key to this recipe, says Cynthia, is to use a Thai style shredder, an interesting gadget that looks like it would be quite handy to have in the kitchen.

Then there's this easy recipe for caramelized turnips I recently came across and can't wait to try.

When freezing temperatures arrived, I began covering my turnip patch with plastic tarps, and later with tarps and old blankets. I continued to harvest turnips throughout the winter, sometimes digging under a foot of snow to reach them. The greens turned to slimy mush, but the bulbs were just fine. Alternately, you can simply harvest all of your turnips just before the ground freezes (which is when they are sweetest) and store them at 32 degrees F for up to 6 months. But my method is more fun--and more rewarding. By early spring I hadn't even picked the entire crop. As the temperature rose, I uncovered what was left, and within days I was thrilled to see tiny green shoots sprouting up from the (by then not-so-tasty-looking) bulbs. Once again I had tender, nutritious greens--extremely welcome so early in the season.

And it doesn't even end there. Instead of pulling up the plants, I let them grow, and by late spring I was rewarded with enough turnip seeds for another fall/winter crop, plus extras I could have sown right then if I hadn't been so tired of turnips.

Golden Globe Turnip Greens Are A Delightful Sight In February

Late last September I sowed a few rows of Golden Globe turnip seeds in my raised bed garden, and while they had a slow start, our winter has been so mild this year that the plants (greens and all) are thriving, as you can see by these photos. They have survived snow, ice, and even a -3 degree F morning covered with nothing more than a bedsheet and an old quilt. (I place metal hoops and wire tomato cages around the plants so the covers don't touch the leaves).

I'll probably never be able to stop ordering too many packets of all those alluring gourmet vegetable seeds each winter, but I always make sure to set aside some space in the garden every year for turnips. Perhaps you should, too.

Sources:

After five years, The Vegetable Gardener's Bible continues to be one of the few books I find myself turning to again and again. If you are only going to buy one edible gardening book, I urge you to make it this one. Click here to read my complete review of The Vegetable Gardener's Bible.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds
Located right here in Missouri, I have been happily ordering "non-hybrid, non-GMO, non-treated, and non-patented" seeds from this rapidly growing, family owned company for several years. They offer an amazing variety of seeds from around the world.

Pinetree Garden Seeds
Another longtime favorite of mine, this small company in Maine offers top quality, untreated seeds (plus things like shallots, seed potatoes, strawberry plants, and asparagus roots) at very reasonable prices. Many seed packets are under a dollar, and they also have a tempting selection of reasonably priced garden tools, kitchen gadgets, and books.

High Mowing Organic Seeds
I just discovered this company yesterday (my catalog is on its way!), and they appear to be right up my garden row. This independent, family-owned business in Vermont offers over 250 varieties of organic seeds (many of which they raise themselves). Click hereto read more about them. And click hereto learn why you should seriously consider buying organically grown seeds. I know of one gardener who had great success with High Mowing beans and tomatoes last year. If you have any experience with this company, I would love to hear about it.

For more about kitchen gardening, fresh home cooking, and my crazy country life, I invite you to visit me at InMyKitchenGarden.com and FarmgirlFare.com--where I also post a new Farm Photo every day.

Contents copyright 2006 FarmgirlFare.com.