Mashed turnips with crispy shallots

I have been in a big hurry to get rid of all the root vegetables sitting around on my counter and in my fridge drawers.  Some of them have been in there for a while, plus it's time to clear out the old stuff and make room for summer stuff!  I cut up all the radishes for the bunny, I made butternut squash bread, I made parsnip muffins, and I decided to try something new and scary:  mashed turnips!


I don't really like turnips.  They are also the one vegetable that the bunny won't eat.  So I am pretty much stuck with them.  My challenge is always to try to get rid of that nasty bitter flavor.  I think this time it was a success.

I served it with a salad, sliced carrots, and tempeh with Asiago cheese.


Here is the recipe, which appeared in my winter CSA newsletter if I'm not mistaken:


Ingredients

• 1.5-2 lb. turnips, coarsely chopped
• 3 tbsp. butter, divided
• 1 cup thinly sliced shallots (or substitute onions)
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/8 tsp. grated nutmeg
• Salt and pepper
• 1-3 tsp. minced Italian parsley

Directions

1. Place chopped turnips in a large pot of cold water.  Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 15 min.  Drain well and puree turnips in a food processor.  (The directions say you can mash them with a hand-held masher, but my turnips were not soft enough.)
2. While turnips are boiling, heat 2 tbsp. of the butter in a small skillet over medium flame.  Add shallots (or onions) and cook, stirring often, until shallots are tender and golden brown, about 15 min.  Remove shallots from skillet and drain them on paper towels.
3. Combine cream and remaining 1 tbsp. butter.  Bring to a simmer and stir into the pureed turnips.  (You can re-use your onion skillet for this, which would add flavor from the cooked onions.)  Season with nutmeg and add salt and pepper to taste.  
4. Place in a serving dish, garnish with shallots and parsley, and serve immediately.

I think the secret to the success was letting the turnips boil for a good long time and pureeing them in the food processor.  The addition of the cream didn't hurt, either.  And I used up all my turnips!!