turnips – The Kitchen Illiterate

Turnip Soup with Greens from Greens

I have recently become a little bit addicted to cookbooks. Awhile ago, I realized (duh) that I could check them out from the library, and decided that was an excellent way to test drive a book to see if I would really cook from it before shelling out the big bucks. Of course, what I discovered is that I’m very likely to fall in love with a book, even if the likelihood it would make its way off the shelf often is nill. That’s what happened with The Greens Cookbook, by Deborah Madison and Edward Espe Brown.
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Winter Vegetable Stew with Rosemary Biscuits

My kitchen has been a bit quiet lately. I’ve been feeling a little down, and often when that happens, I start to rely on those culinary staples that are simple, and basic, and designed to make sadness feel a little lighter: minestrone, pizza, big pots of lentils. Macaroni and cheese is right around the corner, I can feel it.

This root vegetable stew is just right for sad, grey winter days. It’s warming and hearty, and fluffy biscuits are the very definition of comfort food. Plus, it’s easy, and allows for plenty of time to sit on the couch watching re-runs of your favorite television shows while it burbles away on the stove.
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‘Tis the Season for Beef Stew

Last weekend, fall finally arrived in the East Bay. It was grey and rainy, but not, at least to me, gloomy. I was delighted: Fall is my favorite season. California may not show off in fall with bright red and gold leaves, like New England, but it has its own charms. And I, in true homebody fashion, love being cozy and warm in our bright little apartment when the skies turn grey and damp. So I welcomed fall in the best way I know: by cooking up a big pot of beef stew.

Beef stew is the perfect food for fall. You can fill it up with all the lovely root vegetables appearing at the markets, and it requires a nice, long cooking time, while your house fills with amazing smells and cooking warmth. If you want to really warm up the house, you can throw it in the oven, although it turns out just as well cooking on the stove. And while it cooks away, you can curl up on the couch and read or knit or watch a movie, or do whatever you like to do when it’s cold out and you are feeling snug and secure inside. Soon enough, you’ll have a hearty and warm dinner to make your wonderful rainy weekend just about perfect.
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Bulgur with Roasted Turnips, Carrots, and Kale

In my quest to discover new and interesting grains, I decided to give bulgur a try, and it is a new favorite. It is what I wanted quinoa to be like (so far, I just haven’t been able to get into the quinoa). Bulgur is parboiled wheat berries, ground to various consistencies. It’s similar to couscous, in that you cook it by soaking, rather than simmering, but it’s a whole grain. And it has a lovely subtle, nutty flavor and good chewy texture. And like many grains, it’s a great blank canvas for all kinds of flavors. In what I’m hoping is one of the last of the root vegetable-based dishes of the winter, this bulgur dish is made with roasted turnips and carrots, and some sauteed kale. Delicious and filling and warming and good. I love the bulgur.
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