Be honest, how many of you thought “gross, I hate turnips” or something similar when reading that title?

Since we were young, turnips are just one of those vegetables that’s gotten a bad rap. It seems almost everyone comes around to enjoy the usual “gross” vegetables from their childhood like broccoli, cauliflower, or green beans, but the lowly turnips, brussel sprouts and beets seem to be the bottom dwellers of the vegetable popularity chart.

Well, why should you even bother with them? For starters, in this low-carb, eating healthy day and age, turnips are one of the tastiest and best low carb potato substitutes out there. Forget mashed cauliflower, hot mashed turnips have the texture and a similar flavour to everyone’s favorite side dish. They are cheap, available all year round, and as you’ll see, can be much more than a potato stand-in.

Tip for Picking Turnips:

Look for turnips that are very firm. Turnips are a root vegetable and can have a very slight horseradish/mustard tone to them which some people dislike. However the flavour is not as strong in the very firm turnips as opposed to the softer ones.

Turnip Recipes You’ll Love:

In my opinion, these are can’t miss recipes even for self-proclaimed turnip haters. 2 ways to prepare them you may not have thought of, including my favorite recipe for the classic mashed turnips.

Bacon Wrapped Turnip Hors D’oeuvres

Ingredients: (Makes 32 hors d’oeuvres)

- 16 thin pieces of smoked bacon, cut in half
- 3-4 large turnips, cut into 1″ wedges
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup panko (regular breadcrumbs work fine)
- Vegetable oil, salt and pepper

In a medium sauce pan, boil turnips in salted water for 6-7 minutes, until slightly softened but not yet fork tender. Remove from water and let cool slightly. Wrap each wedge with a half-slice of bacon. Whisk eggs in a bowl and place panko breadcrumbs in a separate bowl. Meanwhile, heat a heavy-bottomed saute pan with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil on medium/high and pre-heat the oven to 350F

Dip the bacon wrapped turnips in the egg first, then in the bread crumbs, and place in saute pan. Once bacon is browned, transfer each to a lined baking sheet, and transfer to the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until turnips are tender.

Drain on a paper towel and wait for people to ask you what’s in them!

Best Mashed Turnips

Ingredients: (serves 4)

- 4 large turnips, roughly chopped
- 1 head garlic, roasted
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp milk
- 2 tbsp parmiggiano reggiano cheese
- 1 tsp horseradish
- 2 tbsp fresh snipped chives
- salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Preparation:

To roast the garlic: Cut the top off the head of garlic, drizzle it with olive oil and place in a 300F oven for 45-50 minutes until soft.

Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot and place in the chopped turnips. Boil for 15-20 minutes or until very tender. Drain turnips and immediately mash in the butter and milk, being careful not to add too much milk. (Turnips will not absorb the milk and butter like potatoes will and you’ll end up with turnip soup)

Stir in the horseradish and the roasted garlic, blending well. Just before serving, mix in the chives, parmiggiano reggiano and salt and pepper to taste. The horseradish plays off the turnips natural root flavour, and the cheese and chives balance the flavour with the richness of mashed potatoes, without the carbs. Enjoy and surprise your next guests!

Ahhhh, sweetbreads.

A long-time foodie favorite, many, many people still have not tried them, or even know what they are. To be honest I can’t say I blame them with a name like sweetbreads. I mean, they are neither sweet, nor are they anything resembling bread.

So what are they? Well, as eloquently as I can put it, sweetbreads are the thymus glands of young veal, pork and lamb. That’s right, today we’ll be learning about eating thymus glands!

“You sit there and eat ALL your thymus glands Billy, or no dessert!”

Now we can get these thymus glands from two places, the first is just below the throat of the animal, and the other is near the heart, which are generally more prized and more expensive as many consider them to have a better flavour. Here’s what they look like:

I have a strange feeling I may have grossed some of you out by now. But let me just say this:

Sweetbreads are delicious.

There is a reason many of the best chefs in the world have had them on their menus for years. If prepared right, you’ll order them everytime you see them on a menu. Alright, alright, well if they’re so good, why doesn’t everyone have them on their menus?

A couple reason:

1. First and foremost, they are extremely perishable, usually having to be prepared and eaten within 24 hours of purchasing. This makes them not very cost-effective for most restaurants.

2. Well, let’s not sugar coat it, thymus glands are a tough sell. I’m not sure why they came to be called sweetbreads, but there’s a good chance it was simply to call them something else other than what they actually were.

But let’s move on now from all the nay-saying and approach this with an open mind. What do they taste like?

They have a very delicate liver flavor with a slightly creamy texture. My favorite way to have them prepared is blanched, lightly battered and fried. I had one dining companion say they tasted like “the best chicken mcnugget ever, just a bit creamier”. Hey, whatever works.

Feeling adventurous enough to try them? Head out to Le Crocodile, the famous mainstay of fine French dining here in Vancouver, as they always have them in some form on their menu.

http://www.lecrocodilerestaurant.com/

I’ve decided we’re going to start something new over here at the food blog. Each week, I’m going to share a unique or overlooked ingredient with you along with some info and a recipe or two. Why? Because I can, and also because each time I go to a place like an asian grocery store, or Granville island market, I like to buy something I have never of or tried before. Even for someone who’s been cooking for a while, you will never run out of things to try. Sure, some have been awesome discoveries, and some brutally bad (I once bought a pound of lamb brains after seeing someone deep fry and eat them on TV), but hey, try before you judge right?

Without further adieu, here is this week’s unique ingredient: The Meyer Lemon

So what? It looks like a regular lemon! Maybe, but it’s not a regular lemon at all, in fact it’s a rare citrus that is a combination of a regular lemon with a sweet mandarin, originating from China and recently becoming popular in Western culture after being used by some very famous chefs.

It has a balanced tang and sweetness that make it perfect for desserts, dressings, and other applications. The most famous chef to make use of meyer lemons is Charlie Trotter, who used these almost exclusively in place of regular lemons in his recipe collections.

Are they expensive? Well, in a word, yeah. Buying some meyer lemons will cost you about 3x what buying regular lemons will cost. It’s not outrageous considering they are only grown in a couple areas of the US, but enough to make you want to think about what you want to do with these little babies before you buy. So fear not, here’s a couple recipes that will benefit from the unique sweet and citrus flavour of the Meyer lemons, and ones that will help you recognize the flavour difference from using regular lemons:

Meyer Lemon Risotto (my personal favorite)

ingredients:
6 cups chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped, about 1 to 1-1/2 cups
1 tender inner celery rib, finely chopped, plus 1/4 cup chopped leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 cups arborio rice (10 ounces)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
2 tablespoons finely grated Meyer lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons julienned basil leaves
1/2 cup porcini mushrooms (optional)

In a medium sauce pan, bring the stock to a boil. In a separate large sauce pan, melt the butter and saute the onions, garlic, and celery until soft. Add in the rice and stir to coat with the butter, continue cooking for 2-3 minutes. Add the hot stock to the rice and vegetables, stirring constantly and waiting until each cup is absorbed before adding the next. Continue stirring and ladelling stock for approx. 15-20 minutes or until rice is cooked through, and the mixture is thick and creamy.

Add in the meyer lemon juice and zest, the basil, the parmesan cheese and the mushrooms. Stir and simmer for 2 minutes and then serve in bowls, garnishing with extra parmesan cheese.

And now, for a cocktail to wash it all down:

Meyer Lemon Martini

1.5 oz. Lemon Vodka or premium regular vodka
1/2 oz. cointreau
1 oz simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water)
Juice from 1 meyer lemon
Ice
Sugar for glass rim garnish
Meyer Lemon slice for garnish

Method:
Muddle all the ingredients, including rind, in a shaker. Add in the ice and shake until blended. Strain into a sugar-rimmed martini glass and garnish with a meyer lemon slice.

WHERE TO BUY?

Granville Island Market sells them at one of the asian specialty vendors (the one who sells the hard to find peppers and fresh wasabi). They are individually priced but average about $2.50 per lemon.