Trying To Be Trendy: Rutabaga Fries
You all know by now that I am a sucker for a food trend. Well, it seems that the trend of using cauliflower as a substitute for foods you don’t want to eat is totally played out. Foodies in the know are all about using turnips and rutabagas. Yes, these humble root vegetables are now hobnobbing with hoi polloi tres chic.
If you search the interweb you will find that many of the proponents of turnip/rutabaga fries are into the “ketogenic” and “paleo” diets. I assure you there is no scientific evidence that either of those eating patterns are better than the diet you will find detailed for FREE at https://www.choosemyplate.gov/. I have other reasons for promoting the use of rutabagas and turnips, however:
- They are tasty. Turnips remind me of radishes, but with the super power to withstand the heat of cooking. Rutabagas have this sweet/bitter thing that makes them a sophisticated choice among cold weather vegetables.
- They are inexpensive. Like many root vegetables, turnips and rutabagas are currently in season. “In season” and “affordable” go hand-in-hand in DIYet land.
Let’s be honest- there are no bad vegetables. As a nation, we should all eat more veggies. Make America great again- eat some veggies!
Here is how I made some delicious rutabaga “fries” recently.
Your first priority is to get rid of the wax coating and skin. All it takes is a good vegetable peeler.
Next, break that globe down. Using a sharp knife, slice the round root into “fry” sized bits. Be careful! I wore my cut- proof gloves.
Toss the root slices with a couple tablespoons of oil. I used canola. You can season as you like. I used Old Bay seasoning. Go ahead and play around though. I imagine garam masala, Chinese five spice powder, Creole seasoning, or even (don’t judge me) pumpkin pie spice would be fun to play with.
Spread the seasoned strips in a single layer on baking sheets and bake at 425F for 15-25 minutes (depending on thickness).
They were delicious, and had a texture very close to a good fried potato. Why does Old Bay go so well with rutabaga? I have no clue, but it does. Mr. Food It Yourself dipped his in ketchup, I ate mine au natural. Mr. Food It Yourself and I enjoyed them as a side dish to a roasted pork loin, along with some pan seared Brussels sprouts.
I love trying food trends. These rutabaga fries are definitely going to appear regularly in my DIYet this winter. What trendy foods have you tried lately? Did they live up to the hype? Give us all the details in the comments section!
