Recipe Source: Power Foods. Clarkson Potter Publishers, New York, 2010 p. 282
Well, I've gone and done it again. For those of you who haven't been reading this blog for the past 4 years, I've developed something of an obsessive-compulsive disorder around vegetables. I'm obsessed with having them on the table. I can't be comfortable unless there are at least three dishes involving vegetables in some way. In the case of this past Thanksgiving that compulsion led me to have more dishes on the table than there were diners in attendance. This is before my friend added the delicious side dishes she brought with her. (Mmmm.... chard. And the absolute best bread pudding I've ever had.) I only feel a little bad about that, though. There were plenty of vegetables, everyone had something they could eat whatever their dietary restrictions and there were enough leftovers to throw another little dinner party the next night.
This was one recipe I made. It is vegan. It was easy enough to make ahead of time and was doubly convenient in that it did not require refrigeration. I made some changes. Unfortunately my daughter has absconded with my notes about those changes, so you're going to have to rely on my memory. I used a Macomber turnip instead of a rutabaga because that's what I could get my hands on. (Strange; I rarely have problems finding rutabaga in the colder months.) I didn't use Dijon mustard. I used a stoneground horseradish mustard instead. I wanted to give this dish a little bit more kick than the original. I omitted the oil to limit the fat, which pleased most of my guests, and I made up the volume with mustard. I increased the quantity of celery as well, because celery is super healthy.
The results were decent. The vegetables were steamed, so they retained most of their nutritional value. They were not however overcooked, and may have even been a little underdone as they retained a great deal of their crunch. This would make a great side dish for a traditional barbecue or for any kind of picnic you might experience over the spring.
Turnip and Potato Salad (serves 8; approx. $0.66/serving)
1 Macomber turnip, peeled and cut into 2" pieces
1 pound red fingerling potatoes, cut into pieces more or less the same size as the turnip. Mostly this will be halved or maybe quartered.
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
3 tablespoons stoneground horseradish mustard
Black pepper to taste
5 celery stalks, chopped
Equipment:
- Basket steamer and saucepan - a two-tiered basket steamer worked very well for me here
- Small bowl
- Whisk
- Fill the saucepan with water and bring to a boil.
- Put the turnip pieces in one basket of the two-tiered steamer. Place on top of the saucepan, cover and steam 5 minutes.
- Put the potato pieces into the second basket. Remove the basket lid. Place the second basket on top of the first. Cover and continue to steam 15 minutes.
- Transfer the steamed vegetables to your serving vessel.
- Combine the vinegar, mustard and pepper in the small bowl. Whisk to emulsify.
- Pour the dressing over the steamed vegetables. Toss well.
- Add the chopped celery to the serving vessel and toss to combine.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
