Turnips | SHIZUOKA GOURMET

As i said in my previous posting, for too long, turnips have been considered food for the poor and destitutes.
In France it is also the symbol of a bad play or movie!
Actually they make for great vegetables, cheap and easy to cook!

The Japanese have come with all kinds of ways to prepare them forthe pleasure of vegans, be they Japanese or expats in this country.
The following recipe is called “Kabu no Kiku Hana Zuke/かぶの菊花漬け or:
Japanese pickled Turnips in the shape of Chrysanthemums!

INGREDIENTS: For 4 people

-Turnips: 8 small
-Sugar: 3 tablespoons

-Rice vinegar: 1/2 Cup/100 cc/ml
-Red Chili pepper (dried, 1 whole)

RECIPE:

-Peel the turnips carefully and take out leaves and their green spot from the top of the vegtables. With a sharp knife make incisions two thirds deep all around the top of the turnips.

-Place the turnips side by side inside a bowl. Cover them completely with salted water. Leave them marinate for 15 minutes to soften them.

-Mix rice vinegar and sugar.
Drain the turnips thoroughly.
Pour the sweet vinegar over the turnips and let marinate for a whole night.

-Take turnips out and press out the vinegar only lightly.
Open and spread the indented parts as to give tem the shape of a looming flower like in the picture.
Top with a small circle of cut chili pepper.

Enjoy as a snack any time of the day or use as a central part of a vegetable salad!

Please check the new postings at:
sake, shochu and sushi

—————————————-
日本語のブログ
—————————————-

For too long, turnips have been considered food for the poor and destitutes.
In France it is also the symbol of a bad play or movie!
Actually they make for great vegetables, cheap and easy to cook!

Here is a very simple recipe with simple cheap ingredients for “poor” vegans.
Great for kids, too!

INGREDIENTS: 1 person?

-Turnips: 2 (organic!)
-Onion: half 1 (organic!)
-Aburaage/fried tofu: 1 (sliced into 5 cm long thin strips)
-Olive oil: for frying
-Tomato juice (organic, please, or makeyour own!): 300 cc/ml
-Salt: 1 teaspoon (can be reduced, especially for kids!)
-Ground black pepper: to taste

RECIPE:

１ Cut turnips into wedges. Slice the onions thin.

２ Pour some olive oil in a fry pan. Fry sliced turnips, onions and aburaage, bearing in mind turnips become soft very quickly.

３ After frying on a medium fire for about 3 minutes, add tomato juice, salt and simmer for about 8 minutes on a low fire.
If and when the turnips are cooked, switch off fire and sprinkle with ground black pepper.

Simple, isn’t it? The point is to stew/simmer the vegetables in tomato juice. Aburaage will provide some bite!