Rutabagas

[Chuck52]

Where do they come from, besides Hooterville? We just had our New Years blackeyed peas, and because there were just the two of us I didn't roast the darn big Boston Butt roast I had planned on. Kinda hard to eat seven pounds of pork these days....could've done it in my prime though! Anyway, since we needed something to go with the peas, I picked up some rutabagas at WallyWorld for 50 cents a pound. They used to be "poor folks food" like white turnips, but one other store I saw them at was asking $1.59/lb for them! I like rutabagas, but I have my principles! Anyway, since we needed some more civil threads, and since I have never had any luck growing them, I figured I'd ask....where is the rutabaga capitol of the US of A?

Chuck

 

[Lasgambler]

I had my Blackeyed Peas, Ham and Cornbread today also. I googled and found that Forest Grove, Oregon claims to be the rutabaga capital since 1951.
Terry

 

[CCWKen]

Makes a good fall/winter crop down here. Have a small patch in garden now. Cauliflower, turnips, kohlrabi and beets are all making good. Already harvested some. The cauliflower should be ready next week. Started them all from seed. Tried beans but the frost a couple of weeks ago took care of those. Should be setting out onions pretty soon. Come February, we start some of our spring crop.

Ain't gettin' dirty fun.

 

[Chuck52]

Well, good. I figured some place would claim them! I like most of the root crops, beets, turnips, rutabagas, but I've had mixed results growing them. I'll be trying again this spring as soon as I can get them in the ground. In the past I've probably planted them too thick and not thinned enough.

I like to think about where the groceries come from. This time of year I guess most of the fresh stuff is from Mexico, but maybe some of the cabbage and hardier vegetables are from the good ole USA. Here in the midwest, you see huge fields of corn, wheat and soybeans, but I always wonder where most of the "truck" crops are grown....California? I attended East Tennessee State University for a year in the late sixties and I can recall driving around that part of Tennessee and seeing large fields of cabbage. Visiting the area a year or so ago I noticed a number of tomato fields. When I was growing up, there was a canning operation in Tellico Plains Tennessee....Van de Camp maybe....and the plant was surrounded by fields of green beans. Now that area is working on becoming the next Gatlinburg.

Chuck

 

[jinman]

Rudy Beggars? I got me some Rudy Beggars.

I didn't have a garden last year, but in 2007 I had tremendous luck with both purple top turnips and rutabagas. Here are some photos of my garden and my "harvest." I planted from seed and had a great harvest. I also had another of my favorites, turnip greens. I think we still have a bunch of frozen rutabagas in our deep freezer. When cooked, the rutabagas stay firmer than purple top turnips.

 

[Chuck52]

Wow, Jim, I suspect I might get tired of rutabagas if I ever grew a crop like that!

Nobody around here seems to grow them, or at least they never show up in the farmers market.

Chuck

 

[milkman]

Jim, do the tops make good greens, and they sure look like the purple top turnips that grow around here. Is the taste similar to turnips? Have to try growing me some this year I guess.

 

[jinman]

Jim, do the tops make good greens, and they sure look like the purple top turnips that grow around here. Is the taste similar to turnips? Have to try growing me some this year I guess.

The rutabaga tops are more leathery and tougher than the purple top turnips. We tried some for greens, but I much prefer the purple top greens. The rutabaga meat is also more yellow than the purple tops. They don't have the bright purple tops either. If you look at the cleaned turnips in the back of our Mule, you can see how bright white and purple the purple tops are as opposed to the rutabagas on the right which look more yellow.

 

[Chuck52]

Rutabagas have a buttery, slightly sweet turnipy taste. I usually just cook them up like making mashed potatoes, add butter, salt and some pepper and mash 'em. They're one of those vegetables, like beets and others, that some folks really like and some folks wonder who could eat them.

Chuck

 

[RobS]

Oh my, I just have to weigh in on this thread!

Rutabagas are a tradition at my family's thanksgiving. Mashed, but not real fine, kind of course. Gravy, like potatoes. Some mix them with potatoes but I think that's wrong.

Every time I mention this wonderful tradition I get these curious stares. Seems most people have never heard of the rutabaga. Suits me fine, keeps the price down.

Several years ago I decided to do something different for our annual Halloween family get-to-gether. We always have a meet-up at a state park for a camping weekend. I searched and found a rutabaga recipe called "Autumn Ragout of Roasted Vegetables". It's the most bizarre mix of ingredients but it tastes so good. And it's the only different way of preparing rutabaga that I've ever had (if you've read this far, you'll do your own search for the recipe. If it includes napa cabbage, you've found the right one, tastes great in a dutch oven over a fire). It's now an annual tradition.

So, thanks for bringing rutabaga to the forefront, hopefully it won't increase the price too much. For the rutabaga neophytes, you cut off the peel including the wax coating. It takes longer to peel and cut them than to cook them!

Mmmmm, mmmm... love those rutabagas.