Valley Bounty: Rutabaga

Thought to have developed as a cross between turnips and cabbage, rutabaga is a stalwart winter storage crop that is often overlooked for its more famous cousins. Milder than turnips and less starchy than potatoes, cooked rutabagas have a golden color and a mild sweetness that can help alleviate late winter root vegetable fatigue. Try them mashed with a pinch of salt, black pepper, and some caramelized shallots, or dice them and roast them with olive oil and a little chili powder.

Valley Bounty is written by Brian Snell

Web Extras:

Check out CISA’s list of farms that grow rutabagas, or visit your local winter farmers’ market or retailer that prioritizes sourcing locally.

Try this Coconut, Rutabaga, and Carrot Mash, courtesy of Red Fire Farm, or Riverland Farm’s Rutabaga, Carrot, Parsnip, and Sausage Soup.

This short article from a University of South Carolina project has some interesting info on the relatively young rutabaga’s history.