Turnip Coleslaw

We recently joined a terrific farm share and it is so fun. Each week we go on a little road trip to the farm a few towns away where we get to pick our own vegetables. The variety is actually really great, despite it being December. So far there have been plenty of leeks, cabbage, greens, some fantastic Brussels sprouts, squash, turnips and radishes, as well as apples and pears that have been growing on the farm since the 17th century. The vegetables just seem so happy. There’s something rejuvenating about going to a place with beautiful soil, sunlight and adorable animals, as opposed to a fluorescent-lit, linoleum-tiled supermarket.

Anyway, turnips have been in the mix for the past few weeks. I have to say, they’ve never really been a favorite of mine, but these were colorful and bright – green skin with white and magenta flesh, like little watermelons. Turns out they are, in fact called “Watermelon Turnips”. Who knew turnips came in colors other than dirty gray? This week we picked a few watermelon turnips, a red turnip and a plain old white turnip.

This dish makes a bright and refreshing side dish for any meal, but the most obvious choice is in place of traditional coleslaw. It’s also a good dish to keep in mind if you’re trying to incorporate raw veggies into your diet.

The key is to use a good fruity vinegar. We have some really sweet citrus and muscat vinegar from Trader Joes, which worked really well with the turnips.

Be forewarned, although this is a lovely and tasty thing to eat, you may not want to pack it with your work lunch in and open it in public, especially in a poorly ventilated room, because it has a strong turnipy aroma which some people do not find as desirable as us turnip fans.

Turnip Coleslaw – serves 4

3 fresh whole turnips, greens removed
2 tablespoons quality vinegar at room temperature (citrus flavored recommended)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil at room temperature

Scrub the turnips to remove any soil. Grate the turnips, skin on, using the coarsest option on a box grater.

Measure the vinegar and olive oil out into a large bowl. Using a fork or whisk, beat the vinegar and olive oil until emulsified (until it has the consistency of honey).

Add the grated turnip to the bowl. Toss with tongs until well coated.

Serve as a side.

Roasted Chicken au Naturel

Chicken au Naturel gets its name from its simplicity. Sure, chicken can be roasted with all sorts of herbs and spices that will lend additional flavor to the bird, but sometimes it’s nice to let the flavor of the meat speak for itself. This recipe uses just butter, salt and pepper. The key to getting the chickeny-ness out of the chicken without a rotisserie is to flip it every so often to allow the juices from the bones to melt into the meat.

Any root vegetables or tubers are great to add to the bottom of the roasting pan in the last hour or so of the process. As they roast along with the bird, they absorb some of the drippings and form a crisp brown crust. In this case, I added carrots and turnips. Serve with a salad of spinach, mache or mixed greens to round out the meal.

Roasted Chicken au Naturel – serves 4

1 5 lb chicken
2 T butter
1 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in an oven-proof dish as the oven gets to temp.

Rinse chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Brush the the bird inside and out with melted butter. Sprinkle salt and pepper inside and out as well. Fold the flaps in and, using kitchen string, tie the legs together. Tuck the wings under the bird. I can never get mine to stay that way as it cooks, so I like to tie a string around the bird where the wings are folded.

On a rack in a roasting pan, roast the chicken breast side up for 30 minutes. Flip and roast breast side down for 15 minutes. Baste and return to the oven for another 15 minutes.

Remove from oven again and this time flip the bird over so that it’s breast side up again. Add any veggies that you plan to roast. Baste the bird and the veggies and return to the oven another 45 minutes – 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes.

The chicken is finished cooking when the meat at the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165. Allow the bird to rest for 15 minutes before transferring to a serving platter and carving.

Ingredient origins: Organic Chicken – Colorado (I settled for organic this time rather than local), Organic turnips and carrots – Massachusetts, Butter – Maine