A Visit With Mom And Rutabagas

By Sarah Daubman, R.D.

Not too long ago I sat with my mother at her kitchen table drinking coffee. Somehow the conversation turned to childhood memories, particularly those involving food and favorite recipes. “Do you know what I haven’t had in almost twenty years?” she asked. “Rutabagas.”

She went on to describe how much she loved the mashed rutabagas she enjoyed as a child. Being a dietitian and lover of food in all ways, my curiosity was piqued. Though I pride myself on the willingness to try just about any exotic, gourmet food, I could not recall ever having a rutabaga, a simple, humble vegetable at best. I questioned my mother: Is a rutabaga the same as a turnip? How do you cook it? What does it taste like?

Of course I had to research some of this information on my own. As it turns out, the rutabaga is not the same as a turnip, though they are closely related and rutabagas may be referred to as “yellow turnips.” Rutabagas are round root vegetables with yellow-orange flesh around the top and white/yellow skin around the bottom. If searching for them in the grocery store, which I later found myself doing, you will likely find them next to the turnips. Their color and larger size should help differentiate the two.

Upon returning home with the newly purchased vegetable, I set upon making mashed rutabagas for my mother. The rutabagas had a waxy covering that easily peeled away with the skin using a vegetable peeler. The next task was not as easy – cutting the rutabagas. I used a large chef’s knife to slice the root vegetable in half and then into smaller and smaller pieces. I added the 1-inch cubes to a pot of water, brought the water to a boil and cooked them until easily pierced with a fork.

Based on the recommendations of my mother and other researched recipes, I treated the cooked rutabagas much like potatoes. As many ways as there are to make mashed potatoes, so there are for mashed rutabagas. My mother’s preference was milk, butter, salt and pepper. Upon presenting the dish to her she was delighted to find them as a good as she remembered. I have since discovered other methods of preparation: mashed alone or with potatoes, turnips or squash, roasted with olive oil and herbs, grated into salads or cole slaw, diced into soup or caramelized with onions.

I find the rutabaga to have a distinct flavor, tastier than the mild turnip in my opinion. Of course, the nutritious side of rutabagas should also be mentioned (see link: http://www.vegparadise.com /highestperch4.html). I encourage you to experiment with your own recipes. If taken the time, I’m sure you will find the rutabaga a wonderful addition to your family’s meals and discover, as I did, it is a vegetable not only your mother will love.