Turnips - who knew so delicious?

No questioning, I love food....I don't consider myself a "foodie" but instead, food is fuel. As an athlete, food gives me energy, it postpones fatigue and it helps me recover. As a clinical RD, food is nourishment, it helps prevent disease and illness and it is used for healing. As an active, health conscious individual, food is fuel, nourishment and for pleasure.

Continuing my quest to appreciate real foods, I am gradually finding myself introducing more root veggies into my diet. I love a rich, strong taste in some of my favorites (garlic, onions, mushrooms) but still, I am not afraid to try new foods to learn to appreciate what nutrients they can add to my active body.

In looking up inspiration for the turnips that I bought at the store the other day, I came across a lot of "low carb" blogs talking about how great turnips are in place of potatoes. Well, in the Sumbal house, we welcome all food grown by farmers and in a garden. You will not see an "off limit" food list on our refrigerator. Fresh bakery bread, potatoes, rice...yes, bring on the carbs because we love them and we use them. And we consume them responsibly and with enjoyment. 

So I continued my search for an inspiration for turnips and I came across a picture of latkas (or potato pancakes). Not needing a recipe to follow, I found my inspiration from a picture and so I had excitement in my kitchen to use turnips for the first time! Let me tell you...WOW! 

It's amazing how many amazing foods are out there and discovering the right creation can make all the difference as you ask yourself "how did I go so long without appreciating this in my diet?"

Because food is fuel and nourishment, here's a little about turnips (source): 

Turnips are a versatile vegetable since you can eat both the root and the green. The root is usually white in color and can have a “purpleish” color closer to the top if it was exposed to sunlight while growing. The root part of the plant is high in vitamin C and the greens are very high in Vitamin A, C, E, B6, and a great source of lutein. 
The root can be eaten raw if it is very young, but most often it’s boiled before eating. You can cut them into cubes and add them to soup, mash them into “turnip taters” or add them to any vegetable medly for roasting.


The greens can be steamed just as you would do spinach or added to a spring salad mix…..they add lots of flavor and color!
Storage If you plan on using the tops, cut off the leaves, bag them separately and refrigerate for use within a few days. Refrigerate unwashed roots in a plastic bag. They should keep for anywhere from 1 week to 2 weeks.
Freezing Wash, peel, slice and place in pot of water that just covers them. Bring the water just to the boiling point, then drain water off. Dump them into a sink of very cold water, then drain again, pack in freezer bags and freeze.

Turnip latkas

~3 cups shredded turnips
1/2 small onion (chopped)
Seasoning: Garlic, onion, pepper, pinch of sea salt, red pepper flakes
Red and yellow sweet pepper (1 of each, large - you can use bell pepper if you want, about 1/2 cup)
Shredded cheese (~1/8 cup, I used jalapeno Cabot)
1 egg + 2 egg whites
2 tbsp whole wheat flour
Olive oil (~2 tbsp)
1 tbsp ground flax seed

Combine ingredients in large bowl.

Mix together with fork until combined. Mixture shouldn't be runny - if so, add a little more flour (about 1 tbsp at most). 

Place ~2-3 tsp olive oil on pan (heated to medium heat), use 1/2 cup measuring cup to empty mixture onto pan. Cook for 5-6 minutes until brown, then flip for 4-5 minutes. (you can add additional oil or a little non stick spray to prevent sticking if needed for other side). 

This recipe makes ~6-7 latkas. I topped with farmers cheese (you can use feta) and a little greek yogurt (not pictured). I served with a "fruit" salad - mixed greens topped with yellow plum, kiwi, strawberries, sunflower seeds and golden raisins.