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Fall Fest: Rutabaga Puff

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Rutabaga Puff

Since we are celebrating root vegetables at Fall Fest this week, I decided it was time explore the world of the rutabaga.  Up until recently, the only thing I knew about rutabagas is that they live next to turnips in the produce section at the grocery store.  And I know nothing about turnips.

But thanks to the internet, I now know that rutabagas are a root vegetable that supposedly evolved from a cross between a wild cabbage and a turnip.  They look a lot like a turnip, but are yellow instead of white and have a rougher skin.  The flavor is supposed to be sweeter than a turnip.  Rutabagas can be prepared in many different ways, but mashed or roasted seem to be the most popular ways to go.

I had originally planned on roasting a few different root vegetables together and tossing them with butter and herbs.  I even bought some golden beets and colorful carrots to accompany rutabaga in the roasting pan.  But then I ran across this recipe for Rutabaga Puff and thought it might be fun to let this unfamiliar root be the star of the show tonight.  Rutabaga Puff is a casserole made from puréed rutabaga, egg, a bit of flour and leavening, and a few light seasonings.  It’s topped with buttered crumbs and baked – the puff comes from the egg and baking powder.

Since I’m cooking for one these days, I cut the recipe in half and divided the rutabaga mixture into three individual baking dishes to make cute little single-serving casseroles.  The only change I made to Alanna’s recipe was to add about 1/4 cup of shredded Parmigiano Reggiano to the purée.

The casseroles turned out great – lightly browned and crunchy on top, creamy inside.  The flavor of the rutabaga is hard to describe.  It was a bit sweet and a bit bitter and I could definitely taste a hint of cabbage.  I’ll admit that I didn’t immediately love it.  I took a few bites and set it down, turned off by the bitterness.  But I found myself wanting to eat more, and by the time I finished my little bowl I felt like I really enjoyed it.

I definitely think I’ll eat more rutabagas this fall and winter and am looking forward to roasting some next.  For those of you who eat rutabagas, how do you like to prepare them?  Please feel free to share links to your favorite recipes for rutabaga or any other root vegetables in the comments section.

Don’t forget to check out Alanna’s recipe for Rutabaga Puff.

Root Vegetable Recipes from the Fall Fest Gang:

How You Can Join Fall Fest 2010

Fall Fest!Welcome to Fall Fest! Have a recipe or tip that fits any of our weekly themes? You can contribute to our online recipe swap in various ways, big or small.

Contribute a whole post, or a comment—whatever you wish. It’s meant to be fun, viral, fluid. No pressure, just delicious. Simply leave your tip or recipe or favorite links in the comments below a Fall Fest post on my blog, and then go visit my collaborators and do the same.

The cross-blog event idea works best when you leave your recipe or favorite links (whether to your own blog or someone else’s) at all the host blogs. Yes, copy and paste them everywhere! That way, they are likely to be seen by the widest audience. Everyone benefits, and some pretty great dialog starts simmering.

Or think bigger: Publish entire posts of your own, if you wish, and grab the Fall Fest 2010 pumpkin badge (illustrated by Matt of Matt Bites).

Summer/Fall Fest 2010 Posting Schedule

7/28: Cukes and Zukes
8/4: Corn
8/11: Herbs, Greens, and Beans
8/18: Stone Fruit – I missed this one!
8/25: Tomatoes
9/1: Sweet and Spicy Peppers
9/8: Garlic
9/15: White (or colorful “white”…but not sweet) Potatoes
9/22: Spinach
9/29: Apples
10/6: Fall Salads
10/13: Pumpkin + Winter Squash – I missed this one!
10/20: Pears
10/27: “Mad Stash” (as in what you’re shoving in freezer/jars/dehydrator, etc.)
11/3: Root veggies
11/10: Brassicas: incl. Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Cabbage or other
11/17: Sweet Potatoes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lana says

    He, he, Nicole, I'll tell you what pasties are (I lived in Michigan for 10 years). To me it looked like an empanada, filled with different vegetables and ground meat. I tried them for the first and last time when camping with my boyfriend in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. They were pretty tasty. I wish I had explored some more, but I did not. See, i did not even know there were rutabagas in them! Your puff looks very tempting, even though I have never eaten a rutabaga in my life. But the season is here, and why not try it?
    Reply

  2. Sue says

    I have eaten rutabagas mashed with potatoes and didn't like the bitterness, but recently I read that if you add an apple to a rutabaga recipe, it sweetens enough to remove the bitterness and you're left with tasty flavor. I'll try it this weekend.
    Reply

  3. Rachel (Hounds in the Kitchen) says

    This recipe looks fantastic. I like rutabagas and haven't picked any up at the farmer's market yet this year. I made pickled beets this weekend for the first time and posted today for the fall fest. http://houndsinthekitchen.com/2010/11/04/making-pickled-beets-with-a-new-knife/
    Reply

  4. Alanna says

    Well, how cool is THIS, Mz Nicole? I'm glad that in the end, the rutabagas called to you. Do you know that rutabagas are also called 'swedes'? One year for April Fools Day, I did a recipe for Scalloped Finns (the potatoes) & Swedes and thought myself altogether clever. PS If you like, I'll help out with turnips too! :-))
    Reply

  5. Mary says

    I was a young girl, around 8 or so, when my Mom got creative with the Rutabagas and turnips that my Dad had added to his family garden, around 2 acres. I wasn't fond of them by themselves but Mom frequently added them to potatoes cooking on top of the stove for mashed potatoes. There were four children and we all ate them. You can do the same thing with turnips.I am in my 70's now and still like them this way, as does my family. Great too, in soups and stews or combine with broccoli and cauliflower with a cheese sauce. Yumm.m.m! Maybe they are why I have been blessed with good health all of these years.... could be.
    Reply

  6. MaryAnn says

    I eat rutabagas all the time. My mom used to boil them in water with a pinch of sugar. They were mashed with garlic salt and a little butter. So good. Not bitter.
    Reply

  7. Allison says

    Nicole-- Make some pasties! They are delicious. My mother and I used to make them every winter when I was a kid. We always used lots of Rutabaga, Potato, Carrots, and stew meat. I'm a vegetarian now, so I replace meat with Seitan, but they are delicious all the same, and easy to make. I like to make a big batch and wrap some individually, and freeze them for later. They freeze really well, and all you have to do is pop them into the oven. Another new fall favorite of mine, involving butternut squash, comes courtesy of Martha Stewart; http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/butternut-squash-and-sage-lasagna I can't ever get enough sage, so I used extra, added some walnuts to the top, and mashed the squash up a little more than the recipe suggests. It's fantastic with some simple kale sauteed with a little garlic. As much as I love roasted fall vegetables, I always enjoy a few alternatives, and this one was truly a hit!
    Reply

  8. Karen says

    I have always loved rutabagas............I cook them, mash them and add salt pepper and a bit of butter...........then I top them off with a tsp or two of vinegar! Delicious! They are also great peeled and served raw ( sliced in 3" "sticks") for a veggir tray with other veggies and dip!
    Reply

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