No Respect
Respect your elders, everyone has heard it and I would hope that most practice it...This philosophy does not seem to apply when it comes to the turnip. This root vegetable has been around for over 4,000 years, one of the oldest cultivated vegetables, and to this day is the most disrespected vegetables in history.
In Roman times, the turnip was the weapon of choice to hurl at unpopular public figures. In the 15th century, “turnip eater” was the common term for a country bumpkin, and in Charles Dickens’s novels, if you called someone a “turnip,” you meant that he or she was a perfect idiot.
While researching turnips I even found websites providing strategic marketing tips to farmers desperately looking to sell off their undesirable crop.
Value adding with turnips is not as easy as it is with some other crops, but a turnip purée, a pickled turnip or just turnips in a salad mix could all be nice options…A basket of turnips is not likely to sell as fast as bunched turnips with the greens still on, and probably not for as much money.
So you can imagine my surprise when one evening my husband told me he was craving a turnip. I have never eaten a turnip nor had I even seen a turnip, but I just knew I hated them.
I encouraged him to pursue his craving. He ate a turnip almost everyday for 1 month.
Below are some of his more memorable dishes :
Turnip Au Naturale: Place a peeled turnip bulb in boiling water for about 30 minutes. It declares its readiness for consumption when it yields easily to being stabbed with a knife, as if it wants to be put out of its turnip-ian misery. Season it with salt and pepper and then eat with a fork. Rating: ★★★☆☆
Turnip- Lentil Cakes: In a large bowl, mix cooked lentils, a boiled turnip, an egg, breadcrumbs turmeric, and garlic using your hands. Form the mixture into 8 Turnip-Lentil patties. Grill patties 5 minutes per side. This will yield 8 patties, eat 1 and dispose of 7. Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Turnip Tapenade: This was his most risky turnip dish. Inspired by various spreads my husband had enjoyed at parties, he decided to take a free style approach in making his own version of a turnip tapenade. Rating:★☆☆☆☆
Over the course of a few weeks, my “I hate turnips because they are turnips” attitude underwent a noticeable evolution. I no longer blindly hated the vegetable solely because it was a turnip, I now hated turnips because they taste bad. That’s progress.
You see, my husband gave this underdog a chance. Which is a beautiful thing to witness.
One night while admiring my husband prepare his evening turnip, a larger than life spider crawled out from under the fridge. Without a second thought, he flung his turnip at the unsuspecting spider.
See, still no respect.
✊,
Neda
This post was husband approved.
