turnips-msg

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turnips-msg – 9/15/18

Turnips in period. Turnip recipes.

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Stefan at florilegium.org

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From: DDF2 at cornell.edu (David Friedman)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Feast Menus

Date: 16 Nov 1993 03:34:53 GMT

Organization: Cornell Law School

0005290822 at mcimail.COM (Robert A. Goff) wrote:

> Also, does anyone know of a period dish that would approximate a non-

> meat stew for the vegetarians among us? From the same cuisine as the

> meat dish? Thanks.

<snip>

Rapes in Potage [or Carrots or Parsnips]

Curye on Inglysch p. 99 (Forme of Cury no. 7)

Take rapus and make hem clene, and waissh hem clene; quarter hem; perboile

hem, take hem vp. Cast hem in a gode broth and see† hem; mynce oynouns and

cast †erto safroun and salt, and messe it forth with powdour douce. In the

self wise make of pastunakes and skyrwittes.

Note: rapes are turnips; pasternakes are either parsnips or carrots;

skirrets are, according to the OED, “a species of water parsnip, formerly

much cultivated in Europe for its esculent tubers.” We have never found

them available in the market.

1 lb turnips, carrots, or parsnips 6 threads saffron powder douce: 2 t

sugar

2 c chicken broth (canned, diluted) 3/4 t salt 3/8 t cinnamon

1/2 lb onions 3/8 t ginger

Wash, peel, and quarter turnips (or cut into eighths if they are large),

cover with boiling water and parboil for 15 minutes. If you are using

carrots or parsnips, clean them and cut them up into large bite-sized

pieces and parboil 10 minutes. Mince onions. Drain turnips, carrots, or

parsnips, and put them with onions and chicken broth in a pot and bring to

a boil. Crush saffron into about 1 t of the broth and add seasonings to

potage. Cook another 15-20 minutes, until turnips or carrots are soft to a

fork and some of the liquid is boiled down.

> Brother Crimthann

> rgoff at mcimail.com

Hope these help.

David/Cariadoc

DDF2 at Cornell.Edu

From: jtn at nutter.cs.vt.edu (Terry Nutter)

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

Subject: Re: Feast formats

Date: 22 Nov 1993 19:49:24 GMT

Greetings, all, from Angharad ver' Rhuawn.

Henry Troup writes,

>There are turnips, which are small (or large) and white fleshed,

>and there are rutabagas or swedes (not an ethnic slur!) which are

>yellow to orange fleshed.

>But there is some evidence that these were not regarded as "people food"

>in the SCA period.

Say what? At least for 14th and 15th C England, where turnips were

called rapes, this is not so. There are surviving recipes for them,

in cookbooks intended for noble kitchens. Cariadoc posted one such

recipe not long ago.

Or do you mean rutabagas and swedes were not regarded as fit for human

consumption, though turnips were?

When and where do you mean?

OTOH, I have never seen a single recipe for anything in period that

looked like a modern stew, with turnips in place of potatos.

Cheers,

-- Angharad/Terry

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

From: ghita at world.std.com (Susan Earley)

Subject: Re: Meat Pie Recipes

Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA

Date: Mon, 11 Jul 1994 20:25:41 GMT

00mjstum at bsuvc.bsu.EDU writes:

>Does anyone have any recipies for meat pies (and the like) that can be

>pre-cooked and then re-heated over a fire/campstove to eat (i.e at

>Pennsic)? I remember seeing such a critter float across the Rialto in the

>past, and I thought I had saved it. But alas...'tis not so.

Cornish Pasties (famous in the UP of Michigan)

make Pie Dough (Flour, shortening, a little salt & baking powder, & water).

in a LARGE bowl, combine:

ground meat (usually hamburger, but can be steak)

cubed turnips (IMPORTANT INGREDIENT!)

chopped potatoes

chopped carrots

roll out pie dough into a circle about 8" across.

scoop about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of meat mixture onto 1/2 of dough, leaving

1 inch around the edge free. (make the heavy metal happy ship)

add a pat of butter on top of the pile of meat stuff.

fold the top of the dough over the bottom (where the meat stuff is).

take edges and fold over (bottom over top), using thumb to squish and make

scallop pattern - don't break the dough covering the meat stuff!

make 1 or 2 small cuts in the top of the cough (over the butter).

optional - brush milk over the top.

now, either cook or freeze. cook in 350 degree until top turns golden

brown. freeze by wrapping in tin foil. can be thrown directly in fire, or

left on grill still wrapped. (keeping the foil on makes the crust stay

moist - if you don't like moist, open the foil when half cooked - leave on

the foil, tho - you want the insides to be sorta moist.

eat by either spreading butter on the top and slicing, or open the thing

and douse with ketchup (my favorite), or just eating plain.

in the UP, there are tons of copper mines (mostly defunct now, or tourist

attractions). the miners used to take the just cooked pasties, put them

in their helmets or their shirt, and eat them (still warm) at lunch.

in the UP, Pasties are DRIVE THRU food.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lady Margherita Alessia, called Ghita Member # 32315 Susan Earley

Shire of Rokkehealdan [SW Chicago Suburbs] Brookfield, IL

Middle Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer ghita at world.std.com

Newsgroups: rec.org.sca

From: ddfr at quads.uchicago.edu (david director friedman)

Subject: Re: A couple of questions . . .

Organization: University of Chicago

Date: Sun, 28 Aug 1994 15:53:27 GMT

Liam O'Donnabhan writes:

" I'm helping the feastocrat at an upcoming event and will be involved

with a feast for 100. Need an idea for a period soup that we could

serve. Note: It could be cooked in advance."

Here is the one we did at this Pennsic (the carrots version):

Rapes in Potage [or Carrots or Parsnips]

Curye on Inglysch p. 99 (Forme of Cury no. 7)

Take rapus and make hem clene, and waissh hem clene; quarter hem;

perboile hem, take hem vp. Cast hem in a gode broth and seeth hem;

mynce oynouns and cast therto safroun and salt, and messe it forth

with powdour douce. In the self wise make of pastunakes and

skyrwittes.

Note: rapes are turnips; pasternakes are either parsnips or carrots;

skirrets are, according to the OED, "a species of water parsnip,

formerly much cultivated in Europe for its esculent tubers." We have

never found them available in the market.

1 lb turnips, carrots, or parsnips 6 threads saffron

2 c chicken broth (canned, diluted) 3/4 t salt

1/2 lb onions

powder douce: 2 t sugar

3/8 t cinnamon

3/8 t ginger

Wash, peel, and quarter turnips (or cut into eighths if they are

large), cover with boiling water and parboil for 15 minutes. If you

are using carrots or parsnips, clean them and cut them up into large

bite-sized pieces and parboil 10 minutes. Mince onions. Drain

turnips, carrots, or parsnips, and put them with onions and chicken

broth in a pot and bring to a boil. Crush saffron into about 1 t of

the broth and add seasonings to potage. Cook another 15-20 minutes,

until turnips or carrots are soft to a fork and some of the liquid is

boiled down.

Both of these are from the Miscellany that Elizabeth and I produce.

David/Cariadoc

From: Uduido at aol.com

Date: Fri, 11 Apr 1997 22:18:23 -0400 (EDT)

Subject: sca-cooks Turnips

In a message dated 97-04-11 12:19:18 EDT, you write:

<< Actually, when prepared correctly, 'neeps are very mild & pleasant and

not bitter or pungent at all. >>

I agree. The secret of selecting turnips is to pick out the youngest turnips.

These are undoubtedly rather sweet in taste and even good when sliced and

eaten raw. Also do not confuse turnips with rutabagas which are decidedly

stronger in flavor. As a rule of thumb, turnips are small white at the

bottom, with a light purple blush on top.

Rutabagas are VERY large, usually coated with wax, yellowish flesh, dirty

white bottom and a deep purple top.

Lord Ras

From: Uduido at aol.com

Date: Thu, 17 Apr 1997 09:32:20 -0400 (EDT)

Subject: SC - Turnips a la Beauce

Redacted fron a recipe found in Le Manegier de Paris, 1392-94 c.e.)

......................................

TURNIPS A LA BEAUCE

1 lb. turnips, cleaned and peeled

Oil, lard or other fat

Spice Powder

Cover turnips with water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to

medium. Cook until tender. Drain and cool. Slice turnips 1/4 inch thick. Heat

1/2 inch oil in a deep frying pan. Fry turnips in all until golden brown.

Drain on absorbent paper or cloth. Sprinkle with spice powder. Serves 4-6.

Redacted by Lord Ras

From: Uduido at aol.com

Date: Sat, 19 Apr 1997 09:49:27 -0400 (EDT)

Subject: SC - Recipes

My apologies for not posting the "original" recipe along with my redaction. I

will try to correct this over-sight in the future. The "spice powder" that I

use in the Turnip recipe is "poudre douce" which works well with the

sweetness of the turnips. The recipe did not specify the type. The reason

that the originals were posted was because I have been sharing only those

period recipes that I use with regularity in my mundane meals. Sorry.

Lord Ras

From: Uduido at aol.com

Date: Mon, 21 Apr 1997 22:59:38 -0400 (EDT)

Subject: Re: SC - Turnips a la Beauce

In a message dated 97-04-21 16:28:32 EDT, you write:

<< Which "spice powder" is this? Powder Forte? Something else? >>

The translation just said "spice powder". I tried it with both "poudre forte"

and "poudre dolce". IMHO, "Poudre dolce" would be the best choice here. That

it what I use when I make it and it seems to complement the sweetness of the

turnips well.

Lord Ras

From: Mark Schuldenfrei <schuldy at abel.MATH.HARVARD.EDU>

Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 10:07:44 -0400 (EDT)

Subject: Re: SC - Re: turnips

1 lb turnips (5 little)

10 oz cheddar cheese

2 T butter

1/2 t cinnamon

1/4 t ginger

1/4 t pepper

1 t sugar

Boil turnips about 30 minutes, peel and slice. Slice cheese thinner than

turnips, with slices about the same size. Layer turnips and sliced cheese

in 9"x5" baking pan, and bake 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

FYI, around here people use the precooked and diced frozen turnips, and

mozarella cheese. It seems to work rather well that way, too. So, I

suspect, it isn't critical what cheese to use.

Tibor

From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>

Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 10:54:21 -0400

Subject: Re: SC - Re: turnips

Mark Schuldenfrei wrote, re armoured turnips:

> FYI, around here people use the precooked and diced frozen turnips, and

> mozarella cheese. It seems to work rather well that way, too. So, I

> suspect, it isn't critical what cheese to use.

> Tibor

Hmmmm. Certainly that would work quite well for bulk-sized presentations

(i.e. events). It might be interesting to experiment with some other

Italian cheeses, since the recipe specifies something like "a rich

cheese, aged not too long" or some such. To me this implies something in

between mozzarella and cheddar with regard to sale age. Taleggio,

perhaps, which is an Italian variant on Brie? I also assume the type of

cheese isn't critical, or it would have been specified.

Another aspect I was curious about: I've never seen precooked and diced

frozen turnips, at least not the white turnip I believe the recipe calls

for. I have seen frozen rutabega in various forms. Forgive this current

tendency toward existentialism, but we aren't talking about rutabegas,

are we? I assume they would work fairly well for most criteria, but...

Interesting link here, BTW, between this dish and the various cheesy

gratins traditional in the south of France even today. I had mentioned

them in connection with Swiss chard, IIRC.

Adamantius

From: Mark Schuldenfrei <schuldy at abel.MATH.HARVARD.EDU>

Date: Tue, 17 Jun 1997 11:13:14 -0400 (EDT)

Subject: Re: SC - Re: turnips

Hmmmm. Certainly that would work quite well for bulk-sized presentations

(i.e. events). It might be interesting to experiment with some other

Italian cheeses, since the recipe specifies something like "a rich

cheese, aged not too long" or some such. To me this implies something in

between mozzarella and cheddar with regard to sale age. Taleggio,

perhaps, which is an Italian variant on Brie? I also assume the type of

cheese isn't critical, or it would have been specified.

It appears to me that, in all honesty, the flavor of the spices and the

cheese overwhelms the vegetable flavor, and the turnip provides mostly

crunch and texture. The mildly spicy flavor of the turnip surfaces late,

and overrides the greasy taste of melted cheese. In that sense, I agree:

any cheese that does not have an overwhelming flavor of its own would be

ideal. Exceptions being things like blue, limburger, smoked cheeses.

Another aspect I was curious about: I've never seen precooked and diced

frozen turnips, at least not the white turnip I believe the recipe calls

for. I have seen frozen rutabega in various forms. Forgive this current

tendency toward existentialism, but we aren't talking about rutabegas,

are we? I assume they would work fairly well for most criteria, but...

The bags are clearly labelled turnips. They do, however, contain orange

rutebega. I have, rarely, seen frozen diced turnips qua turnips.

May I be honest? While most of the time I am an authenticity nutcase on

food issues, I don't know why I don't seem to care much on this one. Maybe

because I think they taste quite similarly. And that most people don't know

the difference. (And, depending upon where you are in the world, and when,

they are called different things, as Adamantius knows from discussions on

rec.food.historic) Heck, I bet daikon would work in the recipe. (But not

potatoes. We went over that.)

De Rutebagae non Disputandum son. (:-) Or something very like that.

Interesting link here, BTW, between this dish and the various cheesy

gratins traditional in the south of France even today. I had mentioned

them in connection with Swiss chard, IIRC.

Indeed. If I could eat them, I would try them.

Tibor

Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 11:37:09 -0600 (MDT)

From: Mary Morman <memorman at oldcolo.com>

Subject: Re: SC - Need Help Badly!

> The problem was that there was an awful bitter aftertaste to the turnips. You >tasted them and they were lovely, then you had to clear the taste from your >mouth with another food quickly.

> What did i do wrong??

> Murkial af Maun

> Christi Redeker

your problem, murkial, was in how you boiled the turnips. turnips (at

least here in colorado) need to be boiled in at -least- two and more

likely three waters to get rid of the bitter taste. i peel them, bring

them to a boil, drain them, cover with cold water, and then do it again.

the third time i let them boil five minutes or so. not tender, but not

hard either.

we had -very- good luck with armoured turnips beer, butter, spices and

cheese. also, we jullienned them rather than just slicing them - made

them look a little more acceptable to folks who wanted "a taste" rather

than a great big lump of a serving.

we had, i swear it!, -none- of these left over after the feast.

elaina

Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 13:33:31 -0500

From: L Herr-Gelatt and J R Gelatt <liontamr at ptd.net>

Subject: SC - Re: sca-cooks V1 #316

The one secret to cooking that my mother-in-law knew was that you had to boil

a potato with your turnips. For some reason it removes the bitter taste.

I have no idea what the "period" version of the hint would be, but you never

know.....

Aoife

Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 11:34:26 -0700 (PDT)

From: "Mike C. Baker" <kihe at rocketmail.com>

Subject: Re: SC - Need Help Badly!

- ---Christi Redeker <C-Redeker at mail.dec.com> wrote:

> Everything came out okay but one thing and that is what I need the

> help with.

> I made armored turnips and this is how I made it:

> 3 Turnips (fresh, couldn't find any frozen)

Why would you *want* to use frozen with fresh available

and "in season" (other than increased ease of preparation)?

> 1/2 cup milk

> sprinkle of ginger

> sprinkle of cinnamon

> Mild cheddar cheese

> Boiled the turnips until done. Cooled, then peeled and sliced.

Here is the probable sidetrack. Try parboiling, drain completely

and cool (drain & discard water, or save until cool and add

to the compost-midden heap). Then just cover with water and

boil until "done".

When I prepare this dish, I opt for peeling the turnips

before boiling, and add some (beef) boullion for the last

ten minutes or so of cooking. Drain the juice from this

second boiling and reserve, using to supplement or replace

part of the milk. (I personally like to drink any of the

"turnip boullion" that is left while it is still warm.)

I also find that a sharp cheddar can be used for 1/3 to

1/2 of the cheese and improve the final result. YMMV;

I've been accused of being descended from mice...

Don't be timid with the ginger, either. In addition to

the traditional spices used in this recipe, I like to

add some powdered thyme and a little coarse-ground

black pepper.

> Put into a 8X8 baking dish. Poured in the milk.

> Sprinkle the tops of the turnips witrh the spices.

> Then place the cheese on the top and baked at 325

> for about 35-40 minutes.

I also like to layer the turnips and cheese, and distribute

the spices throughout (top of each turnip layer, or stirred

into the milk & broth before being poured on).

> The problem was that there was an awful bitter aftertaste

> to the turnips. You tasted them and they were lovely,

> then you had to clear the taste from your mouth with

> another food quickly.

One way to encourage consumption of a feast dish that

your diners may be bypassing as "too common"? <VBEG>

> What did i do wrong??

Actually, nothing (IMHO). Modern palates vs. ancient.

The act of peeling, and then boiling twice, should take

care of modern sensibilities. I admit that I never

myself considered boiling the turnips BEFORE peeling

them. (Legacy of modern cooking experience and practice,

plus living in areas where assorted grubs and such

are known to invade turnips? Maybe...)

===

Pax ... Kihe / Adieu -- Amra / TTFN -- Mike

Kihe Blackeagle / Amr ibn Majid al-Bakri al-Amra /

Mike C. Baker

Date: Mon, 29 Sep 97 17:29:01 -0500

From: Dottie Elliott <macdj at onr.com>

Subject: Re: SC - Need Help Badly!

I use the smallest turnips I can find. That seems to lessen the bitter

taste a good bit. I don't add milk at all. I just use layers of the

sliced turnips, cheese (medium is what I prefer) and spices.

Date: Mon, 29 Sep 1997 23:39:46 -0400 (EDT)

From: Uduido at aol.com

Subject: Re: SC - Re: Turnip trouble (was I Need Help!)

<< Does anyone know if

boiling it in the skin might have had some hideous effect? >>

I have never pre-cooked turnips before using. I would suggest that the

re-cooking of the turnips may have caused the bitterness. (Left-over

turnips[e.g. re-heated] are not a pleasant thing.)

Another cause may have been the way the turnip was grown and/or it's age.. As

with most vegetables they are sweeter and tenderer when consumed young. Older

turnips are somewhat woody and bitter. Alternatively, turnips are a COOL

weather crop and if grown AND harvested in hot weather they develope a

decidedly bitter quality.

Lord Ras

Date: Tue, 30 Sep 1997 12:41:37 -0400 (EDT)

From: Gretchen M Beck <grm+ at andrew.cmu.edu>

Subject: Re: SC - Re: Turnip trouble (was I Need Help!)

I seem to recall reading in some of the period cookbooks that you boil

turnips twice -- once until about 1/2 done, then discard the water and

finish in a fresh pot. If it's the turnips themselves that are causing

the bitter taste, this should take care of it.

toodles, margaret

Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 19:08:55 -0500

From: Maddie Teller-Kook <meadhbh at io.com>

Subject: SC - Re: Spam Horrors!

>> Alasdair mac Iain

>> (and I'd kill for a good plate of haggis, neeps, and tatties!)

> what are neeps?

> -brid

Neeps are turnips.

meadhbh

Date: Thu, 28 May 1998 12:45:05 -0700

From: david friedman <ddfr at best.com>

Subject: Re: SC - Armored Rape???

Adamantius wrote:

>In my neverending battle for Truth, Justice, and Stirring Up Trouble, I

>ran across this and thought I'd share it with da cooks on da list...

>Now, bearing in mind that the plant that we call rape today, whose seeds

>we use for rapeseed (canola) oil, and whose leaves and stalks we seem to

>use for animal fodder, has little or no bulbous root, what do people

>think of the chances we've been making armored turnips all these years

>when the dish is actually supposed to be armored turnipy, cabbagey,

>mustardy greens and stalks? Does anyone out there have an accessible

>copy of Gerard's or another near-period herbal, which might specify

>exactly what part of the rape plant was commonly used for food?

>Thanks in advance for any light anyone can shed on this bulbous

>mystery...

1. I don't have an herbal, but we do have the Oxford English Dictionary.

According to the OED, rape was used to mean both the turnip (Brassica rapa)

and the coleseed plant (Brassica campestris oleifera), from which rapeseed

= cannola oil is made. "There has been much confusion between rape and

coleseed, either plant being known under both names... The older writers

usually distingush the turnip and rape by the adjectives round and long

(-rooted) respectively." Rape in the sense of turnip seems to have been

replaced by the word turnip during the 16th century.

2. There is a reference in the OED to a 15th-c. recipe that starts out

"take rapes and scrape hom wel...", which certainly sounds like the root.

Also, the 15th-c. recipe for Rapes in Potage (see Miscellany) gives as

alternatives to the rapes pasternakes (i.e. carrots or parsnips) or

skirrets, which are root vegetables. But I cannot think of any recipes for

rapes which really sound like greens recipes--as I can for beets, for

example; Le Menagier's beets recipes sound as if he means greens.

3. I have used turnip greens (when I could get them) in some period

recipes calling for mixed greens, but I cannot think of any recipes

specifically calling for them. Can anyone else?

Elizabeth of Dendermonde/Betty Cook

Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2000 10:20:18 -0500

From: Jenn/Yana <jdmiller2 at students.wisc.edu>

Subject: SC - Turnip Pudding (Russian)

Need some advice here, please. My experimental ten cent package of expired

turnip seeds has taken over the garden and I have plenty of turnips to play

with. I have selected a recipe out of the Domostroi (from the

just-out-of-period section) to try to unfold/redact/screw up. Recipe

follows, along with my questions.

(Pouncy: 198) Baked turnip pudding. Take a turnip in good condition and

cut it into thin slices. Thread them on a line so that the slices do not

touch one another as they dry, and hang them in the sun or in a warm oven

where bread has just been baked. They should not be watery; let them dry

out well. Mash the dried slices and push the puree through a sieve. Put

the turnip puree in a clay pot.

[my questions: It appears that the turnips are being dried-out just enough

to make them not-so-watery. They are turned into puree, so there has to be

some moisture left over. I assume that the aforementioned oven would

likely be fired every day, so that means that the turnips are not dried for

too long, perhaps only one day. So far so good?]

Take clear, light-colored honey (make sure it has not fermented) and boil

it, skimming off any foam. Pour the boiled honey into the turnip puree--as

much honey as you have puree. Add nutmeg, cloves, pepper, and saffron in

such measure that no one spice dominates, nor is it overspiced. Seal the

clay pot with dough and steam it in the oven for two days and two nights.

Then it will be good to eat. But if it is too liquid, add more turnip

puree. It should be the texture of a lump of caviar.

[I am happy to see relative measurements, that is very helpful. However, the baking instructions are tougher. I don't know if the pot is glazed or

unglazed, and whether or not it has a lid. I will try a glazed ceramic pot

with a lid, which I will seal on with a flour-water paste, but how long

should I bake it? I really don't want to leave my oven on for two days at

whatever temperature. It seems that the "steaming" comes from the moisture

that is already in the pudding, so I doubt that I have to add any extra

moisture to cook it properly, although I will take careful note of the

results. Any ideas for a modern equivalent of such a long baking time?

Time, temp and method would be helpful. I am also impressed that this

appears to be a family-sized recipe. Turnips can get fairly big, but the

recipe only calls for one turnip. Does this mean that "dessert", if this

is what it is intended for, was [it] meant to only be a small portion of food?]

Looking forward to hearing various ideas,

- --Yana

Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2001 11:05:03 -0700

From: Susan Fox-Davis <selene at earthlink.net>

Subject: Re: SC - garlic rapes

Liadan wrote in response to me:

> At 09:22 AM 4/11/01 -0700, you wrote:

> >12th Night 2000, I served turnip chunks boiled in vegan yellow stock mix from

> >Whole Foods Market, and maybe a little garlic thrown in. I'd made it as a

> >gesture to the vegetarian minority. I'm not sure that the vegetarians

> even got

> >any. I know very little of it was left over. Deception? Maybe, but we told

> >the audience what it was and it's not our fault if they thought it was

> >taters. Education? Surely. Turnips can be your friends!

> Please tell me a bit more about this. I have yet to find a turnip dish I

> will more than taste, much less enjoy.

> Liadan - NOT a picky eater, don't care for turnips, but I keep tasting

There is scarcely more to tell. The period original said to boil turnips in fat

broth, so I went the lazy route and used a boullion mix. I had the turnips peeled and chopped into half-inch dice, mixed up the boullion to a strength I liked, then dumped in the turnips and cooked until tender but not mushy, "al dente" you might say. Whole Foods sells the boullion in bulk, but the brand named G. Washington's is probably very similar. Next time, I may try this with their brown [beef-like] boullion as well.

Selene

Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2001 11:48:24 -0700

From: lilinah at earthlink.net

Subject: Re: SC - Tasty turnips

Some turnip haters said that recipe i used for the Boar Hunt, worked

out by Anne-Marie Rousseau, original from la Varenne, was pretty

tasty. But you have to like mustard :-)

http://witch.drak.net/lilinah/turnips.html

Anahita

Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 08:53:29 EDT

From: Mastercahankyle at cs.com

Subject: Re: SC - Tasty turnips

I am cooking a feast in Atlantia in a couple of weeks (April 28th to be

exact). When I cook there in the Barony of Bright Hills, they always ask for

2 things, my mushroom pie and a turnip dish which follows:

Apple Turnips

This recipe serves 70 gentles

17 lbs. Turnips

2 cups butter

1/2 lb brown sugar

Apple Cider enough to cover turnips (approx 2-4 gal)

Cinnamon to taste

Cut turnips to bite size pieces. Cover with cider, add the

butter and brown sugar and mix well. Simmer for 45 minutes to

1 hour. Stir gently to ensure turnips are cooked evenly. When

finished, put turnips in serving bowls ( or whatever ) and

add some of the sauce that they cooked in (do not completely

cover ) and then sprinkle with cinnamon.

If you ever get the chance, try this dish. You still won't get many who will

eat turnips, but among those who do, they really like this recipe.

Baron Cahan Kyle, OP

Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2001 10:40:56 -0400 (EDT)

From: Jenne Heise <jenne at mail.browser.net>

Subject: Re: SC - Tasty turnips

> Except for using potatoes instead of turnips, it was almost

> exactly identical to the recipe for a.t., comprising layers of potato

> slices (partly pre-cooked in milk or cream), layered with cheese (they

> recommended gruyere), and topped with nutmeg and baked....no extra milk

> in the dish, beyond what the potato slice had been cooked in. <g>

Actually, I've gotten the best results from baking my turnips (esp. at the edge of the fire or on a grill at camping events-- otherwise you have to use the oven at 500 degrees F) until they are soft and the skins somewhat burnt. The trick is to completely pre-cook the turnips (either boiled or baked).

- --

Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise jenne at mail.browser.net

From: Jenne Heise <jenne at mail.browser.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Re: SC - turnips

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

Date: Thu, 3 May 2001 16:57:38 -0400 (EDT)

> --- Stefan li Rous <stefan at texas.net> wrote:

> >Okay, those of you with more discriminating palates, or

> > maybe just more imagination, how would you describe

> > the taste of turnips?

> I would describe them as "earthy and mildly pungent,

> with a trace of sweetness and a smooth, creamy

> texture."

'Mildly pungent'. Yup. That's the phrase.

At least when making armored turnips, it's important to completely cook your turnips. And, if you find a thick 'rind' inside the skin, remove and discard it.

Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, mka Jennifer Heise jenne at mail.browser.net

Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2001 13:01:02 +0200

From: Jessica Tiffin <melisant at iafrica.com>

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

Subject: [Sca-cooks] re: A question of Turnips...

Mari asked:

>I've discovered that I need to work in another vegetable dish and would like

>to go with Turnips

>Can anyone advise of their their favourite Turnip dish - other than "Turnips

>armoured in Self Defense" ?

One of my favourites which is also a good stove-top one is the Menagier's

"Naves aux chateingnes" - Turnips with chestnuts. It's in Pleyn Delit

(recipe 37); the translation reads:

"Young, small turnips should be cooked in water without wine for the first

boiling. Then throw away the water and cook slowly in water and wine, with

chestnuts therein, or, if one has no chestnuts, sage."

It really helps to use smaller, sweeter turnips for this, although I've

also made it successfully with larger ones. The twice-boiling cuts out a

lot of the standard turnip bitterness, as does the wine. Since chestnuts

are completely unobtainable at the tip of Africa (sigh), I think I

substituted macadamia nuts the last time I made this, mainly because they

come closest to what I remember of a chestnut's texture. Admittedly, the

only chestnut I've ever eaten was in the UK when I was 10 years old... :>.

But the nut/turnip flavour and texture combination is _amazing_.

Pleyn Delit's redaction uses 2 lbs turnips to 5 cups water to 1 cup wine to

1/2 lb shelled chestnuts, plus salt, and uses four cups water for the first

boiling and 1c of water, 1c of wine for the second. Hieatt et al also

recommend adding sage even if you do have chestnuts, although I've never

tried that, being as how I tend to cook from the original with scant regard

for actual quantities....

Lady Jehanne de Huguenin (Jessica Tiffin) *** melisant at iafrica.com

Chronicler, Kingdom of Drachenwald

From: Mastercahankyle at cs.com

Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2001 08:56:20 EDT

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] A question of Turnips...

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

gleep001 at hotmail.com writes:

> Can anyone advise of their their favourite Turnip dish - other than "Turnips

> armoured in Self Defense" ?

Attached is a file from my personal cookbook I have on my 'puter. I have

used this turnip dish several times, and very seldom do I get a large

quantify returned to the kitchen.

Kyle

Apple Turnips

This recipe serves 70 gentles

17 lbs. Turnips

2 cups butter

1/2 lb brown sugar

Apple Cider enough to cover turnips (approx 2-4 gal)

Cinnamon to taste

Cut turnips to bite size pieces. Cover with cider, add the

butter and brown sugar and mix well. Simmer for 45 minutes to

1 hour. Stir gently to ensure turnips are cooked evenly. When

finished, put turnips in serving bowls ( or whatever ) and

add some of the sauce that they cooked in (do not completely

cover) and then sprinkle with cinnamon.

From: Mastercahankyle at cs.com

Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2001 09:03:25 EDT

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] A question of Turnips...

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

Mastercahankyle at cs.com writes:

> Attached is a file from my personal cookbook I have on my 'puter. I have

> used this turnip dish several times, and very seldom do I get a large

> quantify returned to the kitchen

One trick I use that isn't in the recipe, I usually soak the Turnips in the

cider, brown sugar, and cinnamon for several hours before cooking. (on

weekend events, usually overnight)

Kyle

From: lilinah at earthlink.net

Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2001 10:08:38 -0700

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] A question of Turnips...

Mari wrote:

>I've discovered that I need to work in another vegetable dish and would like

>to go with Turnips

>Can anyone advise of their their favourite Turnip dish - other than "Turnips

>armoured in Self Defense" ?

>I'm a bit limited for oven space so really long baked dishes (ie more

>than 40 minutes) would be last choice.

For the Boar Hunt, i didn't want to do Armored Turnips again, and

Anne-Marie Rousseau sent me a (gulp) 17th c. recipe for turnips in

mustard sauce which were well received. You basically pre-cook the

turnips in two changes of water - I cut them up first so they'd cook

faster - then the go into baking pans with the butter and mustard and

other seasonings just long enough to get them bubbly, which wasn't

long at all.

This is from my webbed version of my Boar Hunt recipes

http://witch.drak.net/lilinah/menu.html

Original: Turnips

French, le Cuisinier franois, la Varenne, 1654

Scrape them, blanch them, and seethe them with water, butter and

salt; after they

are enough, put them in a dish with very fresh butter, you may put in some

mustard; serve with nutmeg.

Turnips in Butter and Mustard Sauce

for 80 to 90 diners

recipe by Anahita based on a recipe by Anne-Marie Rousseau

60 whole turnips

4 lb. butter

Salt

4 cups Dijon mustard

20 pinches nutmeg

1. Peel turnips. Slice thickly.

2. Parboil by dropping into boiling water for a few minutes. Drain.

3. Then place in fresh boiling water with some salt. Boil until quite

tender. Drain well.

4. Place turnip slices in baking dishes.

5. Make a sauce by placing 4 lb. of butter and 4 cups of prepared

Dijon mustard in a pan and heat just until butter is melted, stirring

to blend.

6. Pour mustard sauce over dished turnips, making sure all turnips

have some sauce on them.

7. Sprinkle each dish lightly with nutmeg.

8. Bake 5-10 min. at 350=B0.

NOTES:

1. My thanks to Anne-Marie Rousseau for sharing this recipe with me.

2. People who said they never eat turnips said they liked this dish,

people who liked turnips said they loved this dish.

Anahita

From: BaronessaIlaria at aol.com

Date: Mon, 9 Jul 2001 14:24:33 EDT

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

Subject: [Sca-cooks] Turnips revisited

If this recipe was posted previously, I missed it, but while looking through

Dining with William Shakespeare, I came across it and thought I would pass it

along.

To Make a Dish of Turnips

Pare your Turnepes as you would pare a Pippin [apple] then cut them in square

pieces an ynch and a halfe long and as thicke as a Butchers pricke or skewet,

put them into a pipkin with a pound of butter and three or foure spoonefuls

of strong broath, and a quarter of a pint of Vinegar seasoned with a little

Pepper, Ginger, Salt and Sugar, and let them stue very easily upon a soft

fire, for the space of two houres or more, now and then turning them with a

spoone, as occasion shall serve, but by all meanes take heede you breake them

not, then dish them up upon Sippets, and serve them to the Table hot.

John Murrell, A Booke of Cookery

Lorwin's redaction is:

1 1/2 pounds young turnips

4 tablespoons butter

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 slices hot buttered toast, cut into triangles

Peel the turnips with a potato peeler, slice them crossways, 1/4" thick, then

divide slices into quarters. Bring the butter, broth, vinegar and seasonings

to a boil in a saucepan, add the turnips, and bring back to a boil. Lower the

heat to a simmer, cover the pot, and cook until the turnips are almost tender

- about one hour - stirring them carefully every 15 minutes.

Uncover the pot and continue cooking until most of the broth has been

absorbed and the turnips are tender. Arrange the toast slices in a warmed

serving dish, spoon the turnips over them, and serve hot.

She comments afterward that: Turnips were sometimes used as a garnish over a

bowled fowl o meat, but usually they were part of the seasoning for stewed

meats nad pottages - Joseph Cooper adds them to the cooking liquid for

stewing a loin or leg of mutton. When used as a garnish, they were cooked

separately. Murrell, however, seems to be the only cookbook writer who

thought turnips worthy of serving as a separate dish, and even he suggests

that a "ladlefull of the foresaid stued Turnepes" could be spooned over the

top of boiled rabbit, capon or chicken.

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] period mashed turnips

Date: Sun, 13 Jan 2002 23:49:47 -0500

From: Kirrily Robert <skud at infotrope.net>

> Katherine said:

>> I just redacted a

>> mushed-turnip dish from Epulario the other day, and it was great, as are

>> thick pea soup, mashed vegetables, and so on (unless it's mashed

>> potatoes, in which case it's mashed starch, and I tend not to eat it).

> Could you please post the original recipe and your redaction here?

> This might make a good alternative to armored turnips, although it

> probably still tastes like turnips. :-(

It's up on my webpage, at

http://infotrope.net/sca/cooking/redactions/vegetables/meat-of-turneps.html

I found it considerably less turnipy than armoured turnips, for what

it's worth.

Katherine

Lady Katherine Rowberd (mka Kirrily "Skud" Robert)

Caldrithig, Skraeling Althing, Ealdormere

Date: Mon, 14 Jan 2002 06:47:42 -0500

From: Philip & Susan Troy <troy at asan.com>

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] period mashed turnips

AA F Murphy wrote

> I got some turnips the other day, and went through your florifiles. Lots

> of turnip recipes! Then I looked more closely ... lots of armored

> turnips and rapes in pottage... many variations of both, but not much

> else. I'll probably try the second, but anyone have any suggestions for

> anything else? I want to start actually cooking something, not just

> reading about it.

I STR a recipe in Le Menagier which involves frying strips of turnips

and then sprinkling them with spice powder, and then there's their

presence in English compost recipes. I believe there are also recipes

for turnip tarts of various types (late period), and quite a few uses

for turnip greens.

Adamantius

Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2002 20:17:15 -0500

From: "Louise Smithson" <smithson at mco.edu>

To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

Subject: [Sca-cooks] (no subject)

I said I had to do it. So tonight I did. Here is my redaction for stuffed turnips. They were really good. A (non-SCAdian) friend tried some and said, wow these are really good, they are not bitter at all. The flavor of the spices doesn't come through very strongly but it is an undercurrent. The sauce was sweetened by the dried fruit and worked really well. I wish I had a melon baller though, I was digging out the middle of the turnips with the end of a spoon. It worked though. A lot of trouble to serve at a large feast but something really unusual to foist on a small group of unsuspecting people. Original recipe follows the redaction.

Stuffed Turnips

Ingredients

Wash and peel 5 small turnips, approx 4" across. Cut the bottoms so they sit flat. With a knife, melon baller or end of a spoon hollow out the turnip leaving approx 1cm of flesh all around. You now have five hollow turnips.

Make the stuffing of 1/2 apple (gala or like) peeled, cored and finely chopped. One hard boiled egg yolk, 1 tablespoon of currants, five tablespoons of fresh breadcrumbs, good pinch sugar, scant pinch each salt, cinnamon and ginger. Mix well together and stuff into the turnips until filling is just below the surface (it exploded out of mine because I overfilled).

Put turnips in a pan, add water till it comes half way up the side (I didn't measure the water and it will depend on the size of your pan, turnips etc). Take turnips out put pan on stove and bring to boil. Add turnips, add about half as much red wine as you did water until it comes within 1/4" of the tops of the turnips. Add a dash of red wine vinegar a good pinch of sugar, pinch ground mace (or a piece of whole, but I didn't have any) a few sprigs of rosemary (or about 1/4 teaspoon dried) a tablespoon of currants, four dates chopped in quarters and a knob of butter. Reducethe heat and simmer for about 30-45 minutes (yes it took that long). Serve it with the sauce.

I found this recipe for turnips in A book of Cookrye by A.W. At London: Printed by Edward Allde 1591. STC 2nd ed/24897

How to make a Pudding in a turnep root.

Take your turnep root and wash it fair in warm water, and scrape it faire and make it hollow as you do a carret roote, and make your stuffe of bread, and apples chopt fine, then take corance and hard egs, and season it with sugar, cinnamon and ginger, and yolks of hard egs and to temper your stuffe, and put it into the turnep, then take faire water, and set it on the fire, and let it boyle or ever you put in your turneps, then put in a good piece of sweet butter, and claret wine, and a little vinagre, and reosemarye and whole mace, sugar, and corance, and dates quartered, and when they are boyled inough, then they will be tender, then serve it in.

From: jenne at fiedlerfamily.net

Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 10:31:54 -0500 (EST)

To: <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Bitter turnips

> My friend Mary, whose family were farmers, says that the bitterness in the

> turnip can be eliminated by peeling more deeply. She says there is a ring

> (clearly visible) under the peel, and once you have cut this section off,

> the remainder of the root is sweet and tasty.

If there is a visible ring, removing this outer rind will definitely make

it less bitter/tangy. (Eaten turnips raw for years.)

-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa

Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2004 18:03:33 EDT

From: Bronwynmgn at aol.com

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] turnips

To: sca-cooks at ansteorra.org

caointiarn1 at juno.com writes:

<<However, I generally buy them at the nearby store -- they are

usually available at a decent price. I have found that using a touch of

sugar in the boiling water {instead of salt} helps with the

bitterness.>>

I also buy mine at the local grocery or occasionally the farmer's market.

Using smaller ones helps with the bitterness issue, as does parboiling them,

draining off the original boiling water, rinsing, and finishing the boiling in

fresh water.

<<I use a mild/ bland white cheese -- muenster being a favorite>>

Mild cheddar or a mix of cheddar and mozarella - I like the combination with

the sweet spices.

Brangwayna

Date: Mon, 27 Sep 2004 18:46:45 -0400

From: "Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius"

<adamantius.magister at verizon.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] turnips

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

Also sprach Kirsten Houseknecht:

> turnips!

> now properly made "Armored Turnips" is very good eating, but it depends on

> youngish turnips, nice and tender

Do we still need, with the preponderance of North American

English-speakers on this list, to be discussing the difference

between yellow turnips, which are rutabagas and not turnips per se,

and actual turnips? I become alarmed when I hear people discussing

the bitterness of turnips, and have visions of people hopping their

beer with cabbage... I can only hope the cabbage is blanched, first,

cut down on the bitterness...

Okay, psycho mode off now... but rutabagas are pretty sharp. Turnips

(the white ones with the purple shading on their skins) have the

barest hint of it, and shouldn't need much to ameliorate it.

> pre cooking them well and the right cheese

> and NO ONE uses the same cheese, as far as i can tell!

> so, what cheeses do you use in your armored turnips?

Meunster works. If I could afford it on a feast budget I'd choose Gruyere.

<snip>

> oh, and what else do you recomend cooking with turnips? i ask partly out of

> period questions (if the turnip crop was good, what would i be making out of

> them??) and partly because they are an Atkins freindly substitute for

> potatoes.....

They're good in stews (especially lamb), and are excellent boiled

with a piece of what people in the British Isles call "bacon", which

is more like what Americans might call lean salt pork. I could easily

imagine them being good in a clear, Chinese soup, using turnips

instead of icicle radish, cooked in clear chicken stock, with a few

black mushrooms, maybe some shredded Smithfield Ham tossed in as a

garnish at the end, and maybe a few cilantro leaves.

Adamantius

Date: Tue, 28 Sep 2004 00:07:15 +0000

From: ekoogler1 at comcast.net

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] turnips

To: Kirsten Houseknecht <kirsten at fabricdragon.com>, Cooks within the

SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

> so, what cheeses do you use in your armored turnips? and *where* do you get

> your turnips??? i am lucky if i can buy some really nasty tough old

> things...... so where do you get your turnips for feast?

I purchase my turnips at the supermarket, but make sure I purchase the

smallest ones they have...those are usually the tenderist. I boil them

until they are just tender, then take them out and place the slices

between layers of paper towel to dry them out as much as possible (I do

slice them prior to boiling). I use two cheese...provolone and

mozzarella. I find that it usually comes out very well.

Kiri

PS: my version is adapted from one that I got from Bishop Geoffrey

d'Ayr of the Eastrealm. The adaptation is from a comparison of his

recipe witih Platina.

Date: Wed, 29 Sep 2004 12:02:45 -0400

From: Jadwiga Zajaczkowa / Jenne Heise <jenne at fiedlerfamily.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] turnips

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

>>> For reasons of personal safety I am not allowed to make armored

>>> turnips anymore for any feast.

>>>

>>> Cadoc

>> I believe that was, ahem, my fault. Or rather...

>> Boys and Girls, no matter how nervous you are about overcooking your

>> turnips, asking your help to peel and slice them before parboiling tends

>> to make some of them quite grumpy. If any of them is Jadwiga...

>> well...

> I think I will use the handy-dandy apple peeler/spiral slicer for the

> next armoured turnip gig around here.

If you boil or bake the turnips FIRST, as all the extant recipes

suggest, then peel and slice them, you can easily remove the skins with

very little effort.

-- Jadwiga Zajaczkowa, Knowledge Pika jenne at fiedlerfamily.net

Date: Fri, 19 May 2006 08:38:13 -0700

From: Susan Fox <selene at earthlink.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] suggestions

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at ansteorra.org>

Duriel wrote:

> Turnips are a good period replacement for potatoes. A very

> unappreciated and nutritous vegetable. Good source of Vit. A and

> an excellent source of Vit. C.

Agreed! We got a whole Twelfth Night to eat up all their turnips and

very little of it came back, by peeling the turnips THICKLY to remove

the bitter outer layer and boiling the fine diced 'neeps in broth rather

than mere water. That's from Platina I think, without having my books

handy. Maybe some meat'n'potatoes guys thought they were potatoes...

but who cares, they got scarfed either way!

Selene

Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2007 18:40:25 -0500

From: "Saint Phlip" <phlip at 99main.com>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] armored turnips

To: "Cooks within the SCA" <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Well, I've figured out why many of you might find that taste so

horrible. My local supermarket has been selling rutabagas as turnips.

Those of you who don't know the difference are certainly not going to

be helped by supermarkets that mislabel them like that.

Did, however, do a bit of research, attempting to discover the REASON

rutabagas around here are labeled turnips. Apparently the Brits, and

by extension, the Canadians, call what I call rutabagas, turnips. They

ARE related, but the difference in taste and intensity of flavor is

rather like the difference between a sweet pepper and a hot pepper.

A proper turnip is sweet and tender enough to slice and eat raw. Older

ones, which are usually bigger ones, and rutabagas are much stronger

flavored, and much more bitter.

Saint Phlip

Date: Mon, 12 May 2008 08:39:54 -0700

From: Susan Fox <selene at earthlink.net>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] Vegetables and are you all still there?

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

jenne at fiedlerfamily.net wrote:

<<< I'm also interested in hearing from people

what their favorite period vegetable dishes are? >>>

The most curiously successful veggie dish I served at feast was cubed

turnips boiled in broth rather than water, as recommended by Platina.

Very little of it came back to the kitchen. My only explanation was

that people thought they were potatoes and yummed them up.

Selene

Date: Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:32:00 -0600

From: Susan Lin <susanrlin at gmail.com>

To: Cooks within the SCA <sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] freezing turnips?

I blanched them (okay, maybe a little more than blanched but not fully

cooked) and froze them on cookie sheets and then transferred them to plastic

baggies. It worked out just fine. I froze them from the summer until

Mid-Winter (second weekend in December) -- no freezer burn.

Shoshana

On Thu, Jul 22, 2010 at 1:51 PM, Kathleen A Roberts <karobert at unm.edu>wrote:

<<< Does anyone have any experience freezing turnips? I do have my "go to"

reference, "The Settlement Cookbook" but I thought that I might also benefit

from some voices of experience.

Do cut and size affect the outcome? Blanched? Fully cooked?

I will be using them in my Roman feast, mixed with carrots with a wine

sauce, so I would rather not have to mash them in the end.

Yes, a friend grew some for me. Her husband likes the greens but not the

root, and I was after the roots, so ... win/win!

Cailte >>>

From: Clan McDowell <nomad at NETINS.NET>

Date: August 31, 2010 7:19:49 AM CDT

To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu

Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Turnip Help

The bitterness of turnips can be reduced just by peeling the outer layer off of them. If you cut one in half and look at it, it will have a ring just inside the peel. Remove the outer layer and the rest of the turnip will be much sweeter. Learned this as a farm girl.

Anne

----- Original Message -----

From: "Bhrngari"

At their Majesties coronation Elspeth cooked up a wonderful feast.

Everything was delicious, but I particularly liked the mashed turnips. So I

requested the recipes and Elspeth was kind enough to share them. I set

about making the mashed turnips according to her recipe. I bought turnips

at Wal-Mart, peeled them, boiled them, mashed them. Then I tried them.

They were bitter and awful. Thank goodness my beagle Blossom found them

delicious, so they weren't a total waste. They were not the creamy yummy

goodness Elspeth had served, and I'm not that bad of a cook, so I'm not sure

what I did wrong. I'm wondering where Elspeth got her turnips. I know this

is a question I should ask her directly, but I was hoping maybe some other

good gentles on the list might have suggestions or experience also. Thanks

in advance for any help.

Bhrngari

Who's really not that bad of a cook. Ask Rhodri.

From: Bhrngari <hollya at DRAGONSTOYBOX.COM>

Date: August 31, 2010 11:42:44 AM CDT

To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu

Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Turnip help

Tibor wrote:

<<< I'm not an expert - but when we make turnips we slow-roast them in an open

pot or on a cookie sheet.

There are MANY different breeds of turnip, sold under many different names.

The taste varieties are astounding. Some are called neeps, or swedes, or

rutabagas and some are turnips.

In particular, local to me in MA there has been a reintroduction of an old-

breed of turnip that is very much like parsnip in its sweetness and

softness - but still a turnip. Do experiment with different varieties.

A very popular local SCA recipe is armored turnips - baked and then topped

with melted cheese. For this, people often use frozen orange turnips. >>>

Thank you Tibor! This is what I'm wondering, did I buy a different turnip

than what Elspeth used for the feast. And from Franz and other's posts, I

think I'll do the slow roast method also. Great information! Thanks!

Bhrngari

From: gary phillips <faramach at CHARTER.NET>

Date: August 31, 2010 12:00:24 PM CDT

To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu

Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Turnip help

I served turnips at a feast that were great in the test run, but almost inedible at the feast. I learned that larger turnips tend to be more woody and bitter than small, tender young turnips. We had naturally bought big turnips, to cut down on the peeling/prep time, but that was a mistake.

Gillie

From: john heitman <gottskrieger at GMAIL.COM>

Date: August 31, 2010 3:04:15 AM CDT

To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu

Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Turnip Help

Turnips, by nature, are a generically bitter root vegetable. It is

one of the reasons it fell out of favor when the potato became

available.

I haven't studied turnips in about 20 years, so I may be wrong in

this. But I believe what makes them bitter is a natural occuring

amount of sulfur in the plant. Different breeds do have different

levels of bitter, and this might be why.

There are several techniques used to reduce the bitter flavor. One is

a slow cook (crock pots over several hours work wonders!). This means

a wet bake more than a rapid boil. This gives time for the starches

in the turnip to break down into sugars, countering the bitters. Many

people will change out the water at least once in the cook to remove

excess bitters that are now in the fluid instead of in the solid

turnip itself. Leaving the old water allows the bitter to re-enter

the vegetable. Generally, this change should be about a third of the

way thru the cooking process, about when the turnip is "parboiled".

Yes, size will matter. Larger ones will be more bitter than smaller

ones, in my experience. Can't tell you why because I dont know. I

would asume it has to do with age and time in the ground to absorb

more of the minerals which make it bitter.

A second technique is to slow cook either with meat or in a meat

stock. The turnip will absorb both the stock and the flavor which goes

with it. When I cook with turnips in my pot roast, I prefer to leave

out the onion (another "bitter" flavor) as the turnips work the same

way.

Without knowing more, I am just guessing. But my first guess is that

she "peeled them, boiled them, and mashed them" in very short order,

like maybe within an hour at a roiling boil. Try a low simmer (190-200

degrees) over an afternoon, and see what you get. Mashed turnips

should not be stiff, but closer to creamed consistency. Stiff will be

more bitter.

I prefer to cook mine in a mild pork/chicken stock, but I am fairly

certain that Elspeth used something else. Which is why I asked for

the recipe.

Franz

All cooks have different techniques. Vary yours to taste.

From: john heitman <gottskrieger at GMAIL.COM>

Date: August 31, 2010 7:30:18 PM CDT

To: CALONTIR at listserv.unl.edu

Subject: Re: [CALONTIR] Turnip help

Ok, lets start with a Caveat.

All cooking is done to taste. There is no "better", only different

and personal preference. Techniques should be experimented with to

achieve prefered results.

That said, try this...

Buy your turnips from a local grocer, not Walmart. (personally, I

have found Walmart produce to be not the best for flavor, often times

immature. If you think their clothes are of lesser quality, would you

expect their produce to be othewise?)

Start by adding a teaspoon of sea salt to 3 quarts of water, and bring

to a roiling boil. Place 3-4 UN-peeled turnips into the boiling

water, and parboil for 10 to 15 minutes. (The salt water will help

pull some of the bitter out.)

Remove the turnips, and peel down to hard fiber (should be about 1/4

inch, the same way you prepare sweet potatoes). Refill the pot, add

your salt and bring to a gentle simmer (I would add chicken or pork

boullion here, and maybe some basil and a touch of milk). Cut turnips

into inch cubes, and return to the pot. *Simmer* until desired

tender, drain again.

(Note: the salt draws out the bitter, the milk helps trap it, and the

basil adds some sweet to counteract.)

Add sour cream, cream cheese, or cheddar cheese to coat, and serve in

the manner desired. Consider adding bacon bits, steamed broccolli, or

even beef stew in the manner of stuffed baked potatoes. If mashing,

Smaller turnips are sweeter because they are specialty breeds, so you

might also try that direction. Each breed will have its own flavor,

so you may have to try several to find what you like. But definitely,

keep to the under 3 finger diameter size to reduce the original

bitterness.

Good luck, and let us know the results.

Franz

On Tue, Aug 31, 2010 at 11:40 AM, Bhrngari <hollya at dragonstoybox.com> wrote:

Here's what I did:

<<< I bought 4 turnips that were sold already bagged at Wal-Mart. I tried to

pick turnips under 3 inches in diameter as I had read on the internet that

larger turnips are more bitter. They were white with purple tops. I peeled

them with a vegetable peeler, cut them into 1 inch cubes and boiled them in

water till they were fork tender. I changed out the water once, as I had

also read on the internet about the initial water being bitter. I drained

them, mashed them in the mixer with a half block of cream cheese and 2

tablespoons of butter and about 1/2 tsp. of sea salt. >>>

Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2012 17:08:26 -0600

From: "Terry Decker" <t.d.decker at att.net>

To: <yaini0625 at yahoo.com>, "Cooks within the SCA"

<sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] modern adaption

The 1st Century source is probably Columella's De Re Rustica, where he

address turnips as food for humans and animals, or Pliny. There is a

reference from the 7th Century BCE, where Sappho refers to one of her lovers

as "turnip," so there is a probability that it was a human food plant at

that time. Turnips have been found in Iron Age English villages and appear

to have originated somewhere in the boundary area between Europe and Asia,

but it can not be determined whether the plant was used as human food or

animal fodder (probably both).

Turnips were introduced into Canada in 1541 by Jacques Cartier, Virginia in

1609, and were in cultivation in Massachusetts by 1622.

Bear

-----------------

According to www.foodtimeline.org

Turnips show up in the 1st Century. Interesting article at

www.aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives

Turnips have 20 chromosomes and rutabaga has 38.

Turnips are white fleshed and most varieties of rutabagas are

yellow-fleshed. But, there are white fleshed rutabagas and yellow fleshed

turnips.

Pliny describes a long turnips, flat turnips and round turnips. He used

the term "rapa" and "napus"

The rutabaga aka "swede" (Brassica napobrassica) gets it name from the

Swedish word "rotabagge." Its a cold weather plant. It wasn't known in

England until 1664 when it was grown in the royal gardens.

Bless Bless

Aelina-who-would-rather-eat-a-swede- then-a turnip.

Date: Thu, 9 Feb 2012 21:58:06 -0800 (PST)

From: Dan Schneider <schneiderdan at ymail.com>

To: yaini0625 at yahoo.com, Cooks within the SCA

<sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org>

Subject: Re: [Sca-cooks] modern adaption

Hej hej!

That's not a Swedish word- at least not anymore; in Swedish, rutabagas are called k?lrot.

Dan

--- On Thu, 2/9/12, yaini0625 at yahoo.com <yaini0625 at yahoo.com> wrote:

<<< The rutabaga aka "swede" (Brassica napobrassica) gets it

name from the Swedish word "rotabagge." Its a cold weather

plant. It wasn't known in England until 1664 when it was

grown in the royal gardens. >>>

From the fb "SCA Cooks" group:

Jamie Gillies

6/8/17 at 5:10pm

My turnips are ready to harvest they grew lots, what are your favorite turnip recipes I should try? Armored Turnips (the sort of au gratin ones) are a must of course.

Elizabeth Newton

ferment them like cabbage. Sauerruben is the German name for it

6/8/17 at 5:24pm

Sheila Sylvan

There's a Persian recipe for turnips with date. Sweet, surprisingly good.

6/8/17 at 5:37pm

Carolyn Tront

There is a recipe out there for stuffed turnips.

6/8/17 at 5:50pm

Jamie McAnulty

I make French fries out of them. I cut them up, toss lightly in olive oil, sprinkle salt, pepper, garlic and roast at 450 for about 15 - 20 minutes.

Ottilige von Rappoltsweiler

Last year I made a 'faux-tato' salad using turnips and olive oil mayonnaise with herbs, inspired by a Roman recipe.

6/8/17 at 5:58pm

Lori Woodward

Daniel Serra has quite possibly the easiest turnip recipe ever in "An Early Meal:" Set turnips into (or next to) the embers of the fire. Turn them occasionally. After 45 minutes or so (or however long it takes to get them to where you can pierce them easily with the tip of your seax), remove them from the fire. Peel off the skin (which should be quite charred) with a small knife, then mash the soft pulp with a healthy knob of butter. Eat hearty. :) (Note: I'm relating this recipe from memory, so it might not look *exactly* like the one in the book!)

6/8/17 at 6:36pm

Linda Hebert Prahl

Roasted with hazel nuts and served with chevre.

Allison E. Hubble

My mom made a dish she called Turned Potatoes, half turnips half russet potatoes. Boil peeled and cubed potatoes and turnips until soft in chicken broth and water, remove the veggies, reduce the liquid as much as possible, melt an appropriate amount of butter for the dish in reduction. Mash, salt/pepper season the veggies, and serve using butter sauce as a gravy. It will be thick due to the potato starches.

6/8/17 at 6:42pm

Susan Bien

turnips and carrots, boil up equal amount carrots and turnips. Mash with butter, salt and pepper. enjoy

Ashlee Rubinstein

Slice thin. Boil in beef stock. Fry in butter. Amazing!

6/8/17 at 7:00pm

Gari Hurst

Pickled like sweet pickles or pickled with beets

Ananda Stevens

Pickled turnips: water, vinegar, salt, garlic, bay, a beet (for color). Maybe some sugar or honey. Let it sit out for 5-7 days, then refrigerate. http://www.galaxylink.com.hk/~john/food/cooking/middleeast/pickledturnips.htm

citation of "...mukbalal muballa (turnips in vinegar, sweetened) from al-Bahgdad..."

Ken Wilson

I just did a turnips pickled in acid whey that turned out great. Sliced turnips + salt + whey left over from making skyr.

Elín Kalevala

mashed buttered turnips.

Talana Violet

I second the motion for the turnips roasted and dressed with butter, and the turnips pickled with beets (delicious in a falafel or gyros sandwich)

Tamra Enchantadorea Kinzel-Wood

Just boiled with butter..OMG...I love them.

6/8/17 at 9:18pm

Margaret Plunk

Thin sliced and fried like potato chips, sprinkled with sugar.

6/8/17 at 9:54pm

Ellen DeLacey

roasted with parsnips, carrots, and sweet potatoes, dash of brown sugar and butter. They are good with roasted cabbage too.

6/8/17 at 10:22pm

Allison E. Hubble

Oh, greens, turnip greens, with ham and a few small diced turnips. I always add a bag of frozen spinach to cut the possible sharpness of the turnip greens.

Urtatim Al-Qurtubiyya

This is out of period for the SCA, 1651, but still yummy - i made it for my first feast

Turnips in Butter and Mustard Sauce

French, François Pierre dit La Varenne, Le Cuisinier françois, 1651

(1653 English translation)

Original

12. Turnips

Scrape them, blanch them, and seeth them with water, butter and salt. After they are enough, put them in a dish with very fresh butter; you may put in some mustard. Serve with nutmeg.

Recipe by Urtatim

60 whole turnips

4 lb. butter

Salt

4 cups Dijon mustard

20 pinches nutmeg

1. Peel turnips. Slice thickly.

2. Parboil by dropping into boiling water for a few minutes. Drain.

3. Then place turnips in fresh boiling water with some salt. Boil until quite tender. Drain well.

4. Place turnip slices in baking dishes.

5. Make a sauce by placing 4 lb. of butter and 4 cups of prepared Dijon

mustard in a pan and heat just until butter is melted, stirring to blend.

6. Pour mustard sauce over dished turnips, making sure all turnips have some sauce on them.

7. Sprinkle each dish lightly with nutmeg.

8. Bake 5-10 min. at 350° F.

NOTES:

1. My thanks to Anne-Marie Rousseau for sharing this recipe with me.

2. People who said they never eat turnips said they liked this dish, people who liked turnips said they loved this dish.

Urtatim Al-Qurtubiyya

Of course, you'll likely want to cut the quantities down a bit :-D I was cooking for 80

Tristin Tayla Sablerose

8/28/17

We would only serve turnips if they were documentably present in the cuisine we are presenting, *and* we can make them an appealing dish. We've got amazing turnip recipes from a bunch of different times and places, but by no means all.

My favorites include what I consider turnip homefries from 14th century English/French, Egyptian turnips with feta :>

David Friedman

What's the 14th c. turnip recipe and from what source?

Similar question for the Egyptian turnips with feta.

Tristin Tayla Sablerose David Friedman --

Le Menagier's fried Turnips recipe -- Turnips are hard and difficult to cook until they have been in the cold and frost; you remove the head, the tail and other whiskers and roots, then they are peeled, then wash in two or three changes of hot water, very hot, then cook in hot meat stock, pork, beef or mutton. Item, in Beausse, when they are cooked, they are sliced and fried in a pan, and powdered spices thrown on.

MCG's Fried Turnips Recipe -- [Madrone Culinary Guild - Stefan]

Peel, slice in to half rounds using a mandolin or Apple machine

Boil them in broth for about 10 minutes or until tender, drain thoroughly

Fry in butter, sprinkled with Powder Forte and salt (To get them well browned can take 45 minutes)

Kitab Wasf al-At’imah al-Mu’tada -- How to Flavour Turnips. Boil turnips, then drain and cool. Then take for them enough good oil, then roll them in it, then throw cumin and enough pounded Syrian cheese on them. Let there be some mustard with it.

MCG's Egyptian Turnips -- [Madrone Culinary Guild - Stefan]

Peel, rinse, dice turnips to 3/4 inch cubes

cook in salted water for 6-7 minutes until tender, drain.

toss in olive oil, cumin and mustard, then add crumbled feta

Let it sit for a few minutes to blend the flavors

Eden

And Tristin forgot to mention our lovely late period Turnips in butter/mustard sauce from La Varenne. So so good!

Alex Allison

I have used a Pottage of Turnips recipe but used mixed period root vegetables and it seams to have been well received

Suzanne Egan

Charly Clarke I once had a disagreement with a couple of collegians at a newcomers once. They were certain what they had eaten was a potato bake. It took me quite a while to convince them it was armoured turnips. There was nothing left in the tray to the point that a few people missed out. I love armoured turnips and occasionally cook them mundanely, I often use swede instead as its a better flavour.