Turnips, A cool season stunner
If you are familiar with the Central Texas Planting Guide, you know that February marks the end of the cool season gardening period of our year-long gardening calendar. Our sweat-free and bug-free gardening days are coming to a close, so let’s make the most of February in the garden shall we? Turnips are an often overlooked vegetable, so just as Michelle Obama took the opportunity in 2014 to champion them by co-opting a popular song which created a viral sensation, I’d like to show them some love this month too. You’ll have to add the pop music soundtrack though. Turnips are a member of the Brassica family - the large group of cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, radish and kale. Turnips are typically grown for their root, but as with most brassicas, the leaves are edible too. Sold as Turnip Greens or Turnips Tops, the leaves are closely related to mustard greens and are most often braised before eaten. They are very high in Vitamin K as well as A, C and Folate.
Turnips grow best when temperatures are between 40 - 75 degrees F. They are grown throughout winter here in Central Texas, and February is the last month to sow seeds before the temperatures get too hot which results in a bitter and tough root. The best varieties of turnips that are grown for roots (as opposed to solely leaves) are ‘Purple Top’ and ‘White Globe’. The plants need to grow in full sun and loose, fertile soil and they can easily be grown in containers on balconies as long as there is enough direct sunlight. To plant seeds directly into the soil, loosen the soil by gently tilling by hand about 6” below surface. You can make mounded rows with 12” spacing or just make a furrow with a hand trowel. Before seeding, if your soil has too much clay or needs some nutrients, mix an all-purpose, organic fertilizer and compost into the soil. When considering fertilizers, remember that they are made up of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium - the essential nutrients for plants. Phosphorus, the middle number, is what helps the growth of roots, so find a fertilizer with a high middle number. To plant, sprinkle the seeds like you are salting food with your thumb and index finger all the way down the row, but don’t over-sow. You will thin the seedlings in a few weeks after they sprout. Gently water the seeds in, and keep the soil moist. Seedlings will emerge 5-10 days later. Once the seedlings have reached 1-2” tall, go through the row and pull out some of the crowded seedlings, leaving 4-6” between each plant. This is called ‘thinning’ and allows room for the root to grow. If the plants are too crowded, the roots will not fully develop. The little plants that you have thinned are edible and delicious. As the plants mature, keep an eye out for tiny pests like aphids on the undersides of the leaves, especially as the weather gets warmer. You can rub off aphids by hand or spray off with blasts of water. As the plants mature, you can harvest the outer leaves to eat, leaving at least ⅓ of the leaves on the plant. In 40-50 days, you will begin to see the ‘shoulders’ of the root emerge out of the soil. This signals that the plant is ready to harvest. The younger, smaller roots known as baby turnips are tender and can be eaten raw. The larger roots, about 2-3” in diameter can be stored in a refrigerator for about 3 weeks and cooked many different ways. Remember to harvest turnips before the temperature exceeds 75 degrees, as that, my friends, signals the end of our cool growing season.
To find local turnips that farmers have been growing all winter, visit your farmers’ market or farm stand or consider signing up for a CSA share (Community Supported Agriculture) or a local produce delivery service like the Produce Boxes from Farmhouse Delivery. These services support local farmers while getting you the freshest seasonal produce with home delivery convenience. This month, Chef Matt Taylor of the Farmhouse Kitchen shares a turnip recipe using the entire plant with an arugula pesto recipe to serve with the roasted turnips. Find Farmhouse Kitchen offerings at Farmhouse Delivery. In addition to their produce boxes, they offer meal kits and groceries delivered from the farm to your door.
Zero Waste Pan Roasted Turnips by Chef Matt Taylor
Ingredients:
1 Bunch of Turnips w/ Greens
1 Jar of Farmhouse Kitchen Sauce of Your Choice: Basil Pesto, Romesco Sauce, Sesame Stir Fry Sauce
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
Directions
Wash and dry Turnips. Remove turnip greens and roughly chop. Set aside. Quarter the turnips. Heat a cast iron or saute pan over medium high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and then turnips. Allow to sit undisturbed for 2-3 minutes or until caramelized. Shake pan an allow to pan roast for another 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat and add chopped turnip greens, season with salt and pepper and toss all together allowing the greens to wilt from heat in the pan. Dress the turnips with the above mentioned sauce options or make your own arugula pesto. Enjoy!
Arugula Pesto
1 bunch arugula, washed well and spun dry
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted golden and cooled
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large garlic clove, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup hot water plus additional if desired
In a food processor pulse together all sauce ingredients except oil and water until arugula is chopped fine. With motor running add oil in a stream, blending mixture until smooth. Sauce may be made up to this point 1 week ahead and chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap. Bring sauce to room temperature to continue. Stir in 1/4 cup hot water plus additional for thinner consistency if desired.