Roasted Roots

A side dish of roots: Dig it!

Turnips really are one of my favorite vegetables. Despite harrowing tales of victory garden produce forced upon Britain's youth, it turns out turnips taste much better than their reputation would indicate.

So when I saw a bag of turnips at my local grocer for a pound, (£1) I snapped it up, knowing I could cook those winter roots any of several ways.

My favorite is to roast them. Since I had parsnips, and baby carrots too, I sliced them up, along with a potato, poured a generous amount of olive oil over it all, and popped it into the oven.

The result: melt-in-your-mouth root vegetable heaven.

Here's how:

Roasted Roots

2 large turnips, sliced into approximately 2-inch pieces
1-2 parsnips, sliced (remove the hard core if they're especially large)
6-8 baby carrots
1 medium-sized potato, sliced into 2-inch sticks
8 - 10 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced in two
1/2 cup or so of olive oil
paprika (I used smoked paprika)
rosemary sprigs
salt
pepper

In a shallow roasting pan, place turnips, parsnips, carrots, and potatoes. Pour olive oil over the top, and stir to coat all the vegetables. Sprinkle paprika over the top, and snip a coupld fo tablespoons rosemary sprigs over the top.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast in a hot (400f/200C) oven for around an hour. Try to resist the delicious smells coming from the oven! Stir once or twice during baking. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Notes: You can vary the root vegetables to your heart's content. Omit the potato if you wish, and add onion if you prefer. This portion serves two comfortably; add more root vegetables if desired to feed more proportionally.

Comments

[Krydor]

That is an excellent idea. Another good way to prepare turnip! We enjoy turnips here in Canada but we boil and mash them.

[KathyF]

Mashed neeps! Another popular dish here too.