photo provided courtesy of affairsofliving.com

Rutabaga, in my opinion, is one of the tastiest vegetables around, but is also misunderstood and underappreciated! First of all, a rutabaga is not a turnip. Rutabagas are golden yellow with a purple top and are generally fairly large, like the size of a baseball to as large as a softball sometimes. Turnips are most commonly white with a purple top (although there are heirloom scarlet turnips), and usually fairly small (ranging from golf ball to baseball-size). Since rutabagas are often mistaken for other things, they get overlooked, and underused. You can almost always count on them being in stock at the grocery store, because they aren’t very popular. For those of us in the know this is great, because they are totally inexpensive. Rutabagas are full of vitamin C and fiber, and have naturally antibacterial properties like all crucifers. Rock on! Plus, they are awesomely versatile. Rutabagas can be eaten raw or cooked. Eaten raw, they are crisp and crunchy, with a slightly sweet, bity, cabbagey flavor. Sometimes I eat them grated in salads, or just plain with bean dip. My mom used to grate them and put them in these huge sub sandwiches we ate on car trips when I was a kid. Cooked, they are earthy and awesome. I love them in stews and soups and vegetable pies, and they are amazing roasted.

But my favorite way to eat rutabaga? You guessed it: fries.

photos provided courtesy of affairsofliving.com

ingredients
rutabaga
olive oil
sprinkle of garlic powder
sprinkle of sea salt & freshly cracked pepper
sprinkle other herbs of choice – parsley, basil, thyme, Italian herb mixes, etc.

directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 425º. Line a baking sheet with parchment or coat with olive oil.
2. Peel rutabaga using a sharp knife. Slice into 1/2″ sticks using a knife or a crinkle cutter.
3. Place rutabaga sticks in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil, tossing to coat. Sprinkle with garlic powder, sea salt, pepper, and any other herbs of choice, toss to coat, then transfer to pan. Give a final sprinkle of seasoning, then place in the oven.
4. Bake until tender and slightly crisp, about 40-45 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes so they don’t burn. Depending on your oven, it may take more or less time, so be sure to check often.
5. Serve hot. Very tasty with any of your favorite dips. I like them with homemade mustard, my dad likes them with ketchup. I have also made creamy dips from tahini or cashew butter, and they are awfully tasty dipped in that.

recipe courtesy affairsofliving.com