Turnips vs. rutabagas

Winter is coming and it’s time for a root vegetable primer. Growing up in a big city in modern America, I never paid that much attention to seasonal vegetables. There were always other choices (what I know now are spring and summer veggies) flown in from other countries.

Now I live in a small town and grow many of the foods I eat. I’ve learned that you can buy tomatoes in winter but they won’t taste very good. And I’ve learned that sometimes really ugly vegetables can be interesting to eat.

Rutabagas are one example. Turnips are another. I used to lump these two together in my mind, while shopping or while reading recipes. And they are similar; in fact, they’re cousins. Apparently, one even evolved from the other, and online at many sites you’ll find the odd biological information that the rutabaga is a cross between a cabbage and a turnip; and that turnips have 20 chromosomes, cabbage has 18 chromosomes and together they create the rutabaga, which has 38 chromosomes.

Interesting, but not particularly useful when you’re in the produce aisle and trying to figure out which is which.

Although there are variations, if you’re at a grocery store in autumn or winter, the rutabaga is going to be the large, yellowish waxy orb and the turnips are going to be smaller, lighter and more delicate. Turnips are usually white with a purple crown, and they often come in bags of half a dozen or so. Rutabagas are most often found in a bin (not a refrigerated tray) and are always sold in single units.

Tastewise, turnips are closer to radishes. In fact, in summer you can peel small white Asian turnips and dress them with a little soy sauce, lemon juice and rice vinegar; they make a crunchy and refreshing salad. In winter, the purple-tipped turnips can be peeled and quartered and added to stews or soups (they add a bit of tang), or they can be peeled and tossed in a little olive oil and salt and pepper and roasted.

I have to confess to being somewhat ignorant about rutabagas, but I have peeled and roasted them and mixed them in with mashed potatoes. They’re hard to peel. You’ll need a strong heavy knife and a bit of patience. Don’t worry if you take about a quarter-inch of edible flesh off with the peel; rutabagas are big.

Nutritionally, the two vegetables are similar. Both are considered particularly effective as cancer fighters, in part because they are said to have a lot of glucosinate and, according to cancerproject.org, a lot of isothiocyanates. Isothiocyanates are supposed to be especially good at fighting lung and esophogeal cancers.

As a general rule, recipes that call for turnips or potatoes can usually be adapted to rutabagas; you might want to do a test run before serving them to guests, however.

Pureed pears and turnips

Adapted from Lee Bailey’s “The Way I Cookâ€

Serves eight as a side dish

2.5 pounds turnips

4 firm pears

1/2 lemon, cut in half

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon sugar

Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel the turnips and then cut them into 1-inch cubes. Steam them until they are fork tender. Meanwhile, peel and core the pears. Cut them in half, put them in a small saucepan and just cover them with water. Add the lemon quarters and bring to a simmer. Cook just until tender, being sure not to overcook. Let them stand in the water while you puree the cooked turnips in a food processor, with the butter and sugar.

Remove the pears from the saucepan and gently press out any excess water, then add them to the turnips and puree for just a single pulse. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm.