The Lowly Rutabaga

I don't think I've ever heard anyone say, "Look at that beautiful rutabaga!".  My memory of eating rutabaga is at my Grandmother's.  I never discussed how she cooked it with her, but, I'm sure it involved a lot of bacon grease!   If you google rutabaga recipes you'll see the first step is to peel the raw vegetable and cut in chunks.  That's the first turn off to using this, rich in Vitamin C, vegetable...it's hard work!  So, one day I decided to boil it whole and see if that made the process any easier.  It worked!  I don't recall preparing rutabaga when my kids were growing up.  But now, thanks to the parboil method, we have it often.  Just like my Grandmama did, I add a little sugar unless I'm roasting it, substituting rosemary for the sugar.  Give this "ugly duckling" vegetable a try!

Ingredients

·         3 to 4 tablespoons butter, olive or bacon drippings

·         1 tsp. sugar

·         ¼ tsp salt

·         ¼ tsp pepper

·         Pinch nutmeg

Sautéed

1.     Boil the whole rutabaga in a pan of salted water until you can stick a fork in about 1 inch (the rutabaga does not have to be tender all the way through), about 45 minutes.  Remove and cool for 15 minutes.

2.     Peel the rutabaga and cut in 1 inch chunks.

3.     Heat butter, olive oil or drippings in a skillet

4.     Add rutabaga chunks and cook until fork tender

5.     Season with sugar, nutmeg, salt and pepper

Mashed

1.     Boil the whole rutabaga in a pan of salted water until you can stick a fork in about 1 inch (the rutabaga does not have to be tender all the way through), about 45 minutes.  Remove and cool for 15 minutes.

2.     Peel the rutabaga and cut in 1 inch chunks.

3.     Boil in a pot of  water until fork tender

4.      Drain the rutabagas, return them to the pan, and heat gently for 2 or 3 minutes to dry them. Add butter (olive oil or drippings), nutmeg, salt, pepper, and sugar to chunks and mash with a potato masher or fork

Roasted

1.     Boil the whole rutabaga in a pan of salted water until you can stick a fork in about 1 inch (the rutabaga does not have to be tender all the way through), about 45 minutes.  Remove and cool for 15 minutes.

2.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees

3.     Peel the rutabaga and cut in 1 inch chunks.

4.     Coat a cookie sheet with olive oil

5.     Evenly distribute chunks on cookie sheet

6.     Bake for 10 minutes, remove, drizzle with olive oil, salt , pepper, 1 tbs. rosemary and toss

7.     Return to oven for 5 minutes