PINK PICKLED TURNIPS

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After two freezes (and snow!) this winter, I’m grateful to see the first signs of spring starting to appear.  The very first blooms that “turnip” — even before the trees sport their glossy spring green new leaves — are mostly pink.  If you pay attention, you’ll see these early pink signs of spring everywhere  — azaleas, redbuds, roses, japanese magnolias, lorapetalum.

Azaleas and Japanese magnolias

Lorapetalum and Peggy Martin roses

Redbuds

Soon, Houston will be ablaze in color.  It’s a magnificent show  I look forward to every year. Spring hopes eternal.

To celebrate this pink spring awakening, I made a batch of bright pink pickled turnips — they often “turnip” as a bright pop of color on plates in middle eastern restaurants.  On a recent trip to the farmers market, I came across ginormous turnips that had just fallen off the proverbial turnip truck:

The one I brought home was just shy of two pounds.  For context, here it is next to a quarter:

Whoa

This is what I refer to as the “Ebay cans and coins method of measurement” — you know, for those times when it’s just too much bother to find a ruler.  A few examples:

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Coins

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Cans

Fun fact — if you leave your turnip sitting around long enough, it will sprout a miniature forest of turnip greens:

I am tickled pink by these neon bright pickled turnips and how easy they are to make.  I would never “turnip” my nose at them.

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PINK PICKLED TURNIPS
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Ingredients
  • 3 cups water
  • ⅓ cup kosher salt
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 cup distilled white vinegar
  • 2 large turnips, peeled and sliced into ½" thick batons
  • 1 small red beet, peeled and cut into ½" thick batons
  • 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 cayenne chilis (optional)
  • Sprig of dill (optional)
Instructions
  1. Heat 2 cups of water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the salt and bay leaf, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool, then add the vinegar and the remaining 1 cup of water.
  2. Place the turnips, beets, and garlic (and cayenne and/or dill, if using) into a large glass jar, then pour the brine, including the bay leaf, over them. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 2-3 days, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

 

The pink show starts immediately

After a few days, the pickled turnips are ready, willing, and pink

Think pink!

ASIAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CARROT SLAW

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My Thanksgiving is going to be different this year.  My friend and I are hosting our 8th Thanksgiving Day Luncheon for our little community’s senior citizens (with half-hearted participation from our sons’ Boy Scout Troop) for the last time.  We’ve enjoyed it, but it’s time to pass the torch — hopefully someone will accept it and carry on this fine tradition.  Here’s a few photos from a prior luncheon:

My little family is scattered this year — there will just be three of us for dinner later in the day, and that’s OK.  I think we’re looking forward to a relaxed holiday meal, for once.  Although I’m not getting out my collection of turkeys and Thanksgiving decorations, I did make a turkey wreath for my front door:

I know your inboxes are overflowing with Thanksgiving recipes, so forgive me for adding yet  another nontraditional recipe to the noise.  But I love this recipe.  Its seasonal colors will add vibrancy to your Thanksgiving table, and it is deliciously different.  It would also be excellent to bring some excitement to leftover turkey sandwiches.

 

Gorgeous, right?  Happy Thanksgiving!

5 from 1 reviews
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ASIAN BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND CARROT SLAW
Author: 
 
Ingredients
  • For dressing:
  • 1 cup water
  • ¼ cup champagne vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • ¼ cup Asian fish sauce
  • 1 small garlic clove, minced
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

  • For slaw:
  • 4 cups julienned butternut squash
  • 2 cups julienned carrot
  • 1 small red jalapeno, very thinly sliced into rings
  • ¼ cup coarsely chopped cilantro, plus additional sprigs for garnish
  • ½ cup coarsely chopped glazed pecans, plus additional for garnish
Instructions
  1. To prepare dressing, place water, vinegar, brown sugar, and fish sauce in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and stir in garlic, lime juice, and crushed red pepper. Set aside to cool until ready to use.
  2. Place squash, carrot, jalapeno, cilantro, and pecans in medium bowl and toss to combine . Just before serving, pour ½ cup dressing over slaw, and toss until combined. (Reserve additional dressing in covered container in refrigerator for another use.). Mound slaw on serving dish and garnish as desired with cilantro sprigs and whole pecans.

Knock knock

Who’s there?

Norma Lee

Norma Lee who?

Norma Lee I don’t eat this much!