What Happened to the Turnips?

First, I apologize for neglecting this blog for the past 10 days. I've been out of town and not cooking very much, so I had very little to write about. I'll try to make up for that over the next few days...

Ok, so remember I said I got turnips in my farm box and I wasn't sure what to do with them?

First, I have to clarify that they were Tokyo Turnips. They were about the size of radishes and very white. A bunch of them was not very many, so I had to mix them with something else to prepare a decent size dish. I looked up so many recipes on-line, and I ended up creating a gratin that combined a few recipes. I added Butternut Squash (brought pre-cut) to bulk it up, and instead of onions, used those leeks that also came in my box. I ended up with this:

Turnip and Squash Gratin

1 bunch Tokyo turnips, thinly sliced

about 1 1/2 cups cubed butternut squash (I brought a little bag at Safeway. I was probably equivalent to 1 medium sized squash)

2 small leeks, carefully washed and thinly sliced (as diced as you can get leeks)

1/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 cup plus 1 TBS grated Parmesan cheese

2 tsp cornstarch

(I'll tell you how I prepared it, then write suggestions for improvement in italics)

1. Quickly boil squash until just softened. (I don't think this was necessary. I think I could have sliced them up and mixed them raw with the turnips.)

2. Mix squash, turnip slices, and sliced leeks with 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. cornstarch and salt and pepper to taste.

3. Pour mixture in 9 by 9 glass baking dish.

4. Drizzle cream over the mixture.

5. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes, or until browned and bubbling.

Next time, I will saute the leeks before mixing them with the turnips and squash. They were a little too crunchy and strong in the gratin.

This was surprisingly tasty for how easy it was. I believe it could be quite versatile. You could use potatoes or any type of squash and onions would be an easy substitute for the leeks.

And the added bonus? That left over heavy cream is fantastic in my morning coffee.