For sale at local farmers markets
Just coming in at local markets: broccoli raab
Vegetables: arugula, Asian greens, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, chard, collards, endive, escarole, herbs, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, Napa cabbage, peanuts, radicchio, radishes, rutabaga, spinach, spring onions, sweet potatoes, turnips, winter squash
From local reports
The rutabaga is a relative of the turnip, a little sweeter than its white-fleshed cousin and likely to grow to a much larger size. Rutabagas can be so sweet that Atlanta chefs have been known to make ice cream from them.
From the outside, a young rutabaga can be difficult to distinguish from a turnip. You can tell them apart by cutting into them. White flesh? Turnip. Pale yellow flesh? Rutabaga.
Nicolas Donck of Crystal Organic Farm in Newborn grows Laurentian rutabagas, an heirloom purple-top variety that’s done well for him, although he says he finds most rutabaga varieties to be pretty similar.
“It’s a crop that takes a long time to grow to a harvestable size, well over 100 days. We seed in late August or early September, keeping the beds watered so the seeds will germinate fast. Then we begin picking it in late November, early December, harvesting the roots when they’re baseball to softball size. They’ll get much bigger but the larger roots just don’t seem as tasty to me,” says Donck.
Since not all his plants mature at the same time, he harvests rutabagas until March. “They take a good bit of cold, but if it gets too cold, they’ll freeze. If you want to grow them, you need to start as early as you can.”
How does Donck enjoy his rutabagas? One way is roasted with other winter roots such as sweet potatoes, turnips, carrots and beets. Or in soup, with the same root vegetables. But he says what he really likes the combination of rutabagas cooked with potatoes and mashed together.
Donck sells his rutabagas at the Saturday morning Morningside Farmers Market. He says it doesn’t take much selling as customers who enjoy rutabagas tend to come looking for it.
Unlike rutabagas from a grocery store, rutabagas from a local farmers market won’t be waxed. Left on your counter, they’ll start to shrivel in a day or two. Use a plastic bag to hold in the moisture and store them in your refrigerator. They’ll keep for weeks.
Waxed rutabagas from the grocery store will keep on your counter, but refrigerate them for longest life. And cut off that wax coating before prepping it for your recipe.
Rutabagas can be boiled, steamed, roasted, served raw, marinated, braised or pureed. If you’re new to rutabagas, trying caramelizing a few cubes with bacon or brushing slices with maple syrup and bake until tender.
Ron Eyester’s Rutabaga Breakfast Hash
Ron Eyester of Morningside’s Rosebud and The Family Dog, and soon-to-open Diner, titles this recipe “breakfast hash,” but consider it a fine option as a main course as well. Eyester prefers to use Benton’s Smoked Slab Bacon for this recipe. Made in Madisonville, Tennessee, Benton’s bacon is available by mail order. If you can’t find slab bacon, use the thick-sliced bacon as called for in the recipe.
No luck finding chanterelles? Substitute local shitakes or oyster mushrooms. Eyester offers the cook the option of using vegetable broth as a substitute for the beef broth, but says, “It won’t be as good.”
Salt
2 medium rutabagas (about 1 1/2 pounds total), peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/4 pound thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 cup)
1/2 rib celery, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 cups chanterelles, cut in half
1 teaspoon chopped sage
1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/2 cup beef broth
Pinch red pepper flakes
Pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup white vinegar
6 eggs
Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Have a bowl of ice water available. Add diced rutabaga and cook until just tender, about 5 minutes. Immediately drain rutabaga and put into ice water. When cool, drain rutabaga and set aside.
In a medium skillet, slowly heat bacon, raising heat as bacon renders fat. Fry until crisp, then remove bacon from skillet, drain and set aside. Leave bacon fat in skillet. Add onion, and saute until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Stir in reserved rutabaga, celery and garlic and saute 5 minutes or until rutabaga begins to turn brown. Stir in chanterelles, sage, rosemary and thyme and saute 5 minutes. Add broth and stir up browned bits in the bottom of the skillet. Simmer until broth reduces by half, about 5 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and season to taste. Add reserved bacon and stir in butter. Heat until butter is melted. Keep warm.
When ready to serve, make poached eggs. In a medium saucepan, bring 3 inches of water to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add vinegar to the water. Break each egg into a cup or saucer and then holding the cup or saucer close to the surface of the water, carefully slip the egg into the water. Add remaining eggs, one at a time. Cook the eggs until the whites are completely set, about 4 minutes. Lift the egg from the water with a slotted spoon, pat dry.
Divide hash between serving plates and top each portion with a poached egg. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve immediately. Serves: 6
Per serving: 274 calories (percent of calories from fat, 54), 15 grams protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 16 grams fat (6 grams saturated), 233 milligrams cholesterol, 505 milligrams sodium.
About the Author
