Rutabaga — YES, RUTABAGA

Rutabaga always makes me think of Ruta Lee, an actress I much admired. Not that there’s any physical resemblance; it’s just, you know, the name.

ANYWAY, I said yesterday at Fatal Foodies that I would post on my blog today about roast rutabaga. A tempting topic, yes?

Rutabagas look a lot like turnips. They taste a bit like turnips, too, but stronger. I’ve been trying to expand my root vegetable appreciation beyond potatoes and carrots, and have come to love turnips and parsnips, so I decided to give rutabagas a try.

I bought one as big as my head. Well, yes, that’s a lie, but it was bigger than my cat’s head, and that’s the truth! It was too big, actually, because I cut it in half and that was enough for Charlie and me (grammatically correct).

Here’s how:

ROAST RUTABAGA

  • rutabaga (duh), peeled and cubed
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • sugar, maple syrup or agave or something sweet
  • olive oil

Cut the rutabaga into cubes. Toss with oil and seasoning and a bit of sweet. Roast at 400 for 30 to 60 minutes or until tender. This big boy was tough, and could have cooked longer than the 45 minutes we gave it. Smaller, more tender ones would cook faster, even with the cubes being the same size as I cut.

I still have the other half, so we’ll have that another time. I may boil the beast first and THEN roast it.

It was pretty good, actually. I look forward to trying it with fresh rutabaga from the farmers’ market this summer.

WRITING PROMPT: A character tries something new and isn’t entirely successful. Does he or she try again or consider the attempt a dead loss?

MA

About

I was born in Louisville, Kentucky, but now live in the woods in southern Indiana. Though I only write fiction, I love to read non-fiction. The more I learn about this world, the more fantastic I see it is.

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One thought on “Rutabaga — YES, RUTABAGA

  1. Johanna Harness

    March 14, 2012 at 10:20am

    When my daughter was little, I’d tell her, “I love you more than the sun and the moon and the stars.” But some days I’d substitute other things, making her giggle and correct me. Our favorite was always, “I love you more than rutabaga.”

    Now, on special occasions, we’ll sometimes buy each other a single rutabaga as an expression of love.

    It’s a good life.

    Permalink  ⋅ Reply
    • Author

      Marian Allen

      March 14, 2012 at 6:36pm

      That is so precious, Johanna! And thank you for sharing the story. Now, I’ll think of my mother and my daughters and our love, every time I see a rutabaga. 🙂

      MA

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  2. scribblesfromjenn

    March 14, 2012 at 2:54pm

    Hi Marian,

    I found you through the A to Z blog list. I am visiting blogs with the number eight in them and you are number 238. You can check out my post about it here @ JennsScribbles if you like.

    I don’t think I’ve every tried a rutabaga, but your post may have pushed me over to the root side :p

    Permalink  ⋅ Reply
    • Author

      Marian Allen

      March 14, 2012 at 6:42pm

      I’m glad to meet you, Jenn! I hope you do try rutabaga, but don’t get a gigantic one, like I did!

      MA

      Permalink  ⋅ Reply

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