GTFU F&V Challenge: Rutabega

Last week I set up a challenge. By last week I mean maybe five minutes ago to me time but through the power of blogging I am both then and now and tomorrow!

Okay I'll admit that was strange, moving on.

Rootabegga.
Rutevega.
Rombegarootvut... ga.

RUTABEGA

Image copyright gridphilly.com

It's a 'rut' vegetable. Get it?
I know nothing about it other than the fact that it looks like a dirty smushed colourless radish. What does one do when they know nothing?
WIKIPEDIA.
Or google. Whatever. Shut up and listen to my mad research skillz.

The rutabega is a cabbage turnip abomination of mad science or crazy silly nature with both edible roots and leaves. Livestock eat it so I guess it's cool for people too. Something about Swedish turnips... and I'm done. That's enough of that. Thanks Wikipedia. You've been most helpful.

Shop

How does one buy said magical cabnip baby? (Way better name if you ask me but rutabaga is so much fun to say.
According to the internet at RealSimple.com "Select rutabagas that are 3 to 5 inches in diameter—the smaller, the sweeter—and that feel firm, smooth, and heavy, with no cracks or soft spots. They may have a wax coating that prevents moisture loss."

I wish I had paid more attention to this when picking up my rutabaga.

Cook

Now I don't promise this each time but I decided to cook it two ways!

Mashed Rutabaga

Image copyright UpsetAppleCart 2014

Ingredients

• Milk
• Water
• Rutabaga
• salt
• heavy cream
• garlic 
• butter

Directions (loosely based on recipe from FoodNetwork.com)

1. Peel and roughly chop rutabaga. 
2. Place in a pot and cover with equal parts milk and water; add a pinch of salt. 
3. Bring to a simmer and cook until soft.
4. Drain. 
5. Puree (using food processor or immersion blender) with cup heavy cream and butter. 
6. Cook a few sliced garlic cloves.

 

Rutabaga Fries 

(from the NoviceHouseWife.com)

Ingredients

• Rutabaga
• Olive oil
• Seasoning (cajun for me)
• Parmesan cheese (optional) 

Directions

I suggesting going over to the NoviceHouseWife.com to get the full directions. 

Verdict

Sadly there aren't any reaction pictures because it turns out, I can't take my own pictures and the other half is working. Boo hoo.

Mashed

Taste summary: Eh. It tasted like cauliflower but the texture was.... not what I liked. I added butter and salt, more than what was requested and then it tasted like fluffy, almost grainy butter. I don't think I liked it. It wasn't terrible though, just not my cup of tea in mashed form. The illusion of it looking like a potato threw me off, I was expecting something other than cauliflower tasting mush. I can see it working well with some green or an onion but it's missing something.
I did not finish it. Consistency of baby food. That might not be the fault of the vegetable but my cooking skillz.

Fries

Taste summary: THEY TOOK TOO LONG TO COOK! OMG. Some parboiling probably should have happened. My only fear was that I'd boil boil them and then BAM you'd have mush fries. So I'm still waiting while they cook. It's taking a while...

I burned them. No more Rutabaga.

Sigh.