Rutabagas – cooking two ways

There are at least two main ways to prepare rutabagas for recipes; roasting and boiling. When we harvest at the garden, we cut off the tops and roots and then wash the bulb. We add the tops and roots to our composting effort. In the kitchen, we use a peeler to remove the outside layer and get down to the “meat” of the bulb. Rutabagas can be roasted alone or with a combination of other root vegetables like, carrots, and parsnips. Boiled rutabagas can be served mashed with butter or included in soups and stews and boiled as the soup cooks.

Peeling the rutabagas

Roasted Rutabagas

Ingredients
1) Peeled cubed rutabaga in 1/2 to 3/4 inch cubes
2) Extra virgin olive oil (or the oil of your choice)
3) Salt
4) Pepper

Cubed rutabaga for roasting

Putting it all together
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees
2) Place cubes in a gallon size zip lock bag
3) Add enough oil to coat the cubes
4) Add salt and pepper to taste
5) Zip the bag, leaving space for air and shake to coat the cubes with oil, salt & pepper
6) Pour the cubes on a baking sheet
7) Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, checking for doneness before taking out of the oven

Roasted rutabaga mildly sweet and delicious

Boiled Rutabagas

Ingredients
1) Peeled cubed rutabaga in 3/4 to 1 inch cubes
2) Boiling water

Simmering rutabagas for mashing

Putting it all together
1) Either add the rutabaga cubes to boiling water or bring the water to boil with the rutabaga cubes in the water
2) Once the water is boiling, boil for about 30 minutes, checking for doneness, before removing from the heat
3) Drain the cubes
4) Mash the cubes like for Mashed Potatoes
5) Serve with butter on the warm mashed rutabagas
6) Add salt, pepper, and/or other seasonings to taste

Rutabagas two ways