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Photo: Andrea Mathis
Active Time:20 minsTotal Time:1 hrServings:6Jump to Nutrition Facts
Active Time:20 minsTotal Time:1 hrServings:6
Active Time:20 mins
Active Time:
20 mins
Total Time:1 hr
Total Time:
1 hr
Servings:6
Servings:
6
Jump to Nutrition Facts
Jump to recipe
I am not at all sure why, but for some reason rutabagas are central to my thoughts of Thanksgiving. We never ate the winter root vegetable at other times of the year, but on that last Thursday in November, they were always front and center on the table. Other people may have had creamed onions or candied sweet potatoes topped with melting marshmallows. We did occasionally have those along with Harvard beets, mac and cheese, green peas and other sides that varied from year to year. But rutabagas were nonnegotiable. I’m not sure where or when my mother learned how to prepare them, but they were always on the table and were a different and welcome addition.
Members of theBrassicafamily, rutabagas are thought to have originated as a cross between turnips and wild cabbage and were first grown in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. The root vegetable is popular in Sweden, hence its nickname, “swedes” (the vegetable is also known as yellow turnips). They are the wax-coated, large orangey-purple globes with a sweet and peppery flavor. Rutabagas have a long shelf life, so they were often eaten during food shortages in Europe during wartime and famines. As such, the vegetable was often seen as a food of last resort. Not so at our Thanksgiving table. There, they were celebrated. They were pureed, foreshadowing the multiple vegetable purees that would turn up on plates after the inception of nouvelle cuisine. Creamy, but with the underlying funk of turnip-like rutabaga, they had a back note of the smoky bacon that also flavored them. I adored them.
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)Ingredients6stripsbacon1rutabaga (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks6cupswater, divided1largerusset potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks¼teaspoongranulated sugar⅛teaspoonsalt⅛teaspoonground pepper
Cook Mode(Keep screen awake)
Ingredients
6stripsbacon
1rutabaga (about 2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
6cupswater, divided
1largerusset potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
¼teaspoongranulated sugar
⅛teaspoonsalt
⅛teaspoonground pepper
DirectionsHeat a large heavy saucepan or pot over medium heat. Add bacon; cook until it begins to brown and the fat is rendered, about 7 minutes. Add rutabaga and 4 cups water, so that the rutabaga is covered; stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any bacon remnants. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Add potatoes and the remaining 2 cups water; cover and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the vegetables and reserve the bacon.Place the vegetables in a food mill (or blender or food processor) and puree into a bowl. Finely mince the bacon and add to the bowl. Add sugar, salt and pepper; mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot.EquipmentFood millEatingWell.com, November 2021
Directions
Heat a large heavy saucepan or pot over medium heat. Add bacon; cook until it begins to brown and the fat is rendered, about 7 minutes. Add rutabaga and 4 cups water, so that the rutabaga is covered; stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any bacon remnants. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Add potatoes and the remaining 2 cups water; cover and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the vegetables and reserve the bacon.Place the vegetables in a food mill (or blender or food processor) and puree into a bowl. Finely mince the bacon and add to the bowl. Add sugar, salt and pepper; mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot.EquipmentFood mill
Heat a large heavy saucepan or pot over medium heat. Add bacon; cook until it begins to brown and the fat is rendered, about 7 minutes. Add rutabaga and 4 cups water, so that the rutabaga is covered; stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any bacon remnants. Bring to a boil, lower heat to medium, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Add potatoes and the remaining 2 cups water; cover and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the vegetables and reserve the bacon.
Place the vegetables in a food mill (or blender or food processor) and puree into a bowl. Finely mince the bacon and add to the bowl. Add sugar, salt and pepper; mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot.
EquipmentFood mill
Equipment
Food mill
EatingWell.com, November 2021
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Nutrition Facts(per serving)140Calories3gFat24gCarbs5gProtein
Nutrition Facts(per serving)
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day. Percent Daily Value (%DV) found on nutrition labels tells you how much a serving of a particular food or recipe contributes to each of those total recommended amounts. Per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the daily value is based on a standard 2,000 calorie diet. Depending on your calorie needs or if you have a health condition, you may need more or less of particular nutrients. (For example, it’s recommended that people following a heart-healthy diet eat less sodium on a daily basis compared to those following a standard diet.)
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a special diet for medical reasons, be sure to consult with your primary care provider or a registered dietitian to better understand your personal nutrition needs.
