So I was supposed to go on a biz trip to China this week. And as you know, when you travel you don’t grocery shop for a few days beforehand and you have to use up anything in the house that might go bad in your absence. So much of my life is like my very own Chopped episode. So I went through the pantry and the fridge trying to decide what to have for dinner, after making a bunch of pickles and jams of course… I had a bunch of random CSA things left over, and ended up having a fantasic meal, albeit slightly lacking in protein.

Serves – 4 (dinner for me and D, and lunch for the next day)

Nutrition – You don’t feel bad, but you don’t lose weight. But you don’t gain any, either.

Ingredients –

Mash –
1 giant turnip*, cut in to chunks
4 small red potatoes*, cut in to chunks
1 handful fresh purple basil, chopped roughly
1/2 cup almond milk
a splash of heavy cream
1 TB butter
2 tsp fresh ground sea salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup Shredded habanero cheddar (optional, or sub in your favorite cheese)

Veggies-
1 container brussel sprouts
1/2 yellow squash* (or a whole one if ya got it. I didn’t, clearly.)
1/2 lb green and yellow beans* trimmed and cut in to inches.
1/2 onion, diced
1/4 cup diced pancetta
garlic jam! (or regular garlic)
2 cloves garlic*, minced
fresh ground sea salt and pepper

First, heat a pot of water to boiling, and add your turnip. After about 15 minutes, toss in the potatoes and let boil another 30 minutes. Let it be known that I usually leave the skin on my potatoes, but the CSA ones we have been getting have been weird and really dirty, so I have been peeling most of it off.

While that’s going on, Start your veggies. The garlic jam was a spontaneous farmer’s market purchase on a trip to PA from Leigh’s Jams. Its a very sweet, strong jam and i like eating it on toast, but it also makes a nice addition to a stir fry. In this case, i mixed it with the onion, pancetta and more garlic (Cause why not) and cooked until the onions were brown and the fat on the pancetta had melted or crisped up.

Then add in your brussel sprouts, as they will take longer to cook. Cook for about 15 minutes, then add in the beans and cook for another 10. Then the squash for another 5-8 while you finish your mash. Season with salt and pepper.

Mash the boiled turnips and potatoes in your drained pot with a TB of butter and then add in the rest of your ingredients and stir, keeping warm. If you prefer a creamier texture, get out your immersion blender. If you are tired from work, pile in a bowl alongside some veggies and dig in! (Guess which one I did!? haha) Adding mashed turnips to your mashed potatoes is a great way to sneak something new in to your kids diet, or in to your own, in my case, haha. I like to do the same thing with cauliflower, whether it be grated in to rice, or steamed in chunks and used in mac and cheese. There are tons of ways to get stuff in to your diet. Make it happen!

Enjoy!

*CSA Ingredients