HWN Suggests

We Are All Rutabagas: Finding Inspiration from A Root Vegetable

Do you know what a rutabaga is? You likely don’t. It doesn’t have the pizzazz of controversy like brussel sprouts or kale, but isn’t widely adored, either, like the green bean or cauliflower (do people like those?). If you don’t enjoy a good rutabaga, or don’t even know what a rutabaga is, I welcome you. I want to raise awareness of an issue gripping our nation by its roots: rutabaga underappreciation. Like you, I was in the dark until a few months ago, when I realized the value of this incredible vegetable.

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 What’s a Rutabaga?

Not only do rutabagas have a very interesting history in Europe, but they also carry a lot of baggage. During WWII they provided the only nutrition many POWs and residents of various ghettos in Europe had access to. I also learned that part of my earlier blog about turnips was slightly incorrect. Rutabagas were the “turnips” that the Irish, Scottish, and British would carve to ward off evil spirits during Halloween. Which makes more sense because, given the size difference between rutabagas and turnips, it would be much easier to carve rutabaga. The confusion comes from the fact that rutabagas are considered in many regions to be large turnips, even though they are not.

 WTF Is a Rutabaga and How Do You Cook One?

Literally, the only thing I knew about rutabagas at the outset of this article is that it almost rhymes with Studebaker. Now I know that this winter root vegetable is the bastard child of a turnip and wild cabbage. I also found out that supertasters who think cilantro tastes like soap find this superfood too bitter to eat. Another interesting fact about this Brassica family member is that it can be carved like a pumpkin

Articles of Interest

All About Rutabagas

Rutabagas have long been seen as an important food source, especially during times of need. During World War I and World War II, rutabagas were eaten often due to food shortages. In Germany, rutabagas were deemed a last resort food and eaten in a paltry stew of rutabagas and water. Rutabagas also have ceremonial and ornamental importance. In some countries, especially in Western England, Ireland, and Scotland, rutabagas are used during Halloween celebrations and transformed into spooky jack-o-lanterns.

Five Ways to Eat Rutabaga

Do as the Swedes—and Finns—do. In England, the rutabaga is called a swede, or Swedish turnip. Swedes like their swedes much as my future in-laws do—boiled and mashed, sometimes with carrots. But in the next Scandinavian country over, Finns make a slightly jazzier version, called Lanttulaatikko. This casserole adds milk, eggs, nutmeg, molasses and bread crumbs to the rutabaga. To really perk things up (without adding a ton of fat), I like Kevin Weeks's idea of flavoring the mashed root with maple syrup and bourbon.

How do you cook a Rutabaga? And why would you want to?

What in the world is a rutabaga? And more importantly, how do you cook it? Well, “Rutabaga is a large, round, root vegetable. It’s also known as swede. It’s a form of Brassica napus and a hybrid between a turnip and wild cabbage. Rutabaga actually looks like a large turnip. But it has a yellowish and brownish colour on the outside and has an orange-yellow colour inside {versus the whiter interior and exterior of the turnip}. Rutabagas grow only in cool climates.” Pediaa.com. Rutabaga also goes by the name Swedish Turnip, Yellow Turnip, and Neep. Why? I have no idea!

How To Eat Rutabaga And Why You Should

Packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants alongside starch and carbohydrates, root vegetables are an excellent foundation for any meal when used in moderation. Some root vegetables, however, are more popular than others. Where many recipes make frequent use of hearty potatoes, sweet beets, versatile carrots, turnips, onions, and sweet potatoes, the likes of rutabaga often lay forgotten, which is a shame considering its nutritional value — one rutabaga alone can make up for more than your daily recommended vitamin C intake!

Not Your Nana's Rotmos (Scandinavian Rutabaga)

To make matters worse, what my Irish-Swedish family calls turnips are actually not turnips at all, but rutabagas, which many people also refer to as yellow turnips (or swedes) and which some people use in the thrilling sport of rutabaga curling. (I am not making this up). We prefer to eat them rather than fling them, although after enough pinot grigio my family can be persuaded to do most anything, including welcoming this version of Nana's Rotmos instead of the cheese-laced, heavy cream-soused, cinnamon-sprinkled version we grew up with.

Rutabagas Are A Hybrid Of These 2 Vegetables

But there's more to the humble rutabaga than you might imagine. In fact, this oft-overlooked root vegetable that Helen Rosner calls a "culinary underdog"  is part of an interesting family, and it's a far more valuable crop than we might realize.

The Greatness of the Humble Rutabaga

I never knew I’d become such a champion of the rutabaga year after year, but I think they’re a humble cornerstone of the Winter diet. Bit by bit, people are catching on and finding the love too. I’m also learning with every year what it is that Rutabaga lovers like to do with them—case in point, there’s a treasured recipe for Cornish Pastys that long time members Naomi and Jerod were kind enough to pass my way.

What's that vegetable? The sweet, starchy Gilfeather rutabaga

Truth be told, I’d never had a rutabaga before. I wasn’t even entirely sure what kind of vegetable it was. I thought it might be a root vegetable and maybe even part of the turnip family, but I couldn’t say. But there they were in abundance at a stand operated by Windfall Farms of Montgomery, NY. The girl behind the register told me to get the smaller variety, as they have a sweeter taste, and that they’d be tasty mixed in with potatoes. Anything that goes well with potatoes is good enough for me. Sold!

Why You Should Give Rutabaga a Chance

Turnips, kohlrabi, celery root, rutabaga. Root vegetables all, and often left for last in the CSA box by otherwise enterprising cooks who are flummoxed by their ugly looks and famine-food reputations. Among these intimidating vegetables, rutabaga looms large — both because of its size, and because it is simply my favorite one of all to eat. I want to cajole you into giving rutabaga a chance. Here’s why it deserves a place of honor right beside your potatoes and sweet potatoes.