It was Week 3 of our CSA deliveries and if I’m not mistaken our boxes are starting to feel a bit heavier…not a lot but a bit. I expect over the next few weeks they will increase in weight as early season greens transition into various other vegetables. Not that I’m complaining about what we get now. I am a firm believer in quality over quanity and everything we have received so far has been excellent. I’ve been especially thrilled with the Hakurei turnips, but I’ll get back to those in a minute.

This week our box was filled with more strawberries, baby greens, spinach, radishes (although this is probably the end of them for the summer), and turnips. Making their first appearance in our box was garlic scapes (the green shoots of the garlic), sugar snap peas, kohlrabi (a favorite here in our house).

Now back to the Hakurei turnips. I’ve become quite enamored with them. While they still have a slight “bite” to them I find them to be more subtle then their autumn counterparts. Also unlike their autumn counterparts, these little beauties don’t require peeling before using. Their skin is much thinner than turnips from fall harvests and much less fiberous. Just wash them and give them a good scrub to remove any dirt and then use them in whatever dish you are making (although if making mashed turnips you might still want to peel them) or just slice them thinly, sprinkle with a bit of salt and eat raw.

I don’t often cook radishes, although I do on occasion. I came up with the idea of making a gratin out of the turnips and since their flavor profile was somewhat similar to the radishes we had received I decided that I would add a layer of radishes to the gratin. While it might be a bit heavy for a hot summer day, this gratin, nonetheless, goes really well as an accompaniment to grilled steak.

Turnip Gratin with Radishes
serves 4

1-1 1/2 bunches Hakurei turnips, washed well
1 bunch radishes, washed well
2 Tbs. butter
1 cup parmesan cheese, grated (I used one of my favorites, Sarvecchio, by Sartori foods out of Plymouth WI)
salt
pepper
nutmeg
1 cup cream

Preheat an oven to 350°F. In a medium sized, oven proof saute pan melt the butter. Remove from heat. Thinly slice the turnips and radishes approximately 1/8-1/4″ thick. Place a single layer of turnips on the bottom of the saute pan. Cover with the radishes. Sprinkle with a bit of salt, peper and just a hint of nutmeg. Top with 1/4 cup of the parmesan.

Add another layer of turnips, followed by more salt, pepper, nutmeg and another 1/4 cup of parmesan. Top with the remaining turnips, more salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour in the cream and press down on the vegetables to make sure the are just barely covered by the cream. Add a bit more cream or milk, if necessary. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Remove cover and bake for 15 minutes more. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of parmesan and bake for an additional 25-30 minutes or until the cheese is nicely browned the the liquid as thickened. Remove from oven and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. This will allow the gratin to set before serving.

I hate to admit it but I am not a huge fan of vegetables. Oh, sure, they’re all right, but I would much rather fill up on starch and proteins. I know, I’m such a Midwesterner! In my defense, I have been trying to consume more vegetables in the past few months, but I still have a long way to go. There are notable exceptions to this though. Fresh, in season tomatoes, fennel, and asparagus are just a few I like and I have always loved many of the vegetables from the Brassica genus. This includes things like cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and cabbages. It also includes many of the root vegetables that I like such as rutabagas and turnips.

Root vegetables have a pleasing sharpness that I enjoy, but they also have a wonderful, underlying sweetness. This sweetness can be developed and brought to the fore by roasting the vegetables, which is the way I prefer to cook them. In this recipe I accent that sweetness even further by glazing them with cider and a little bourbon, enrich them with a little butter and add an herbal note with fresh thyme which is still looking good, in the herb garden, despite the numerous frosts we’ve had.

Cider-Bourbon Glazed Root Vegetables

2 Tbsp. Butter, melted
2 pounds Root vegetables, peeled and cut into thick, medium length sticks (I use a mix of carrots, parsnips, rutabagas and turnips)
4 each Shallots, peeled & quartered
4 sprigs Thyme
3/4 cup Cider
2 Tbsp. Bourbon
Parsley, minced
Salt
Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400F. Toss the root vegetables with butter, to coat then place in a 9×13 baking dish. Pour cider over the vegetables and add the shallots and thyme. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Cover the pan with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, add the bourbon and roast for 25-35 minutes more, stirring every 7-8 minutes. The vegetables are done when they are tender, starting to brown and the liquid as mostly evaporated, glazing the vegetables. Season again with salt and pepper, if needed and sprinkle with the minced parsley. Serves 6 as a side dish.