Friday, January 15, 2010

Windfall in New York Magazine

Gilfeather Rutabagas


It’s root-vegetable season, and if that doesn’t make you want to clap your hands and jump up and down, the so-called Gilfeather turnip might. Developed by Vermont farmer John Gilfeather in the late 1800s and recently introduced at Greenmarket’s Windfall Farms stand, the heirloom root (which is actually a rutabaga, Gilfeather’s nomenclature notwithstanding) has a sweet flavor with a mild radishlike bite, and it’s not too much to say it’s the best-tasting rutabaga around. Try a few grated raw in a salad, mashed with potatoes, or in this Finnish pudding recipe from Gastronomica editor and rutabaga authority Darra Goldstein, whose passion for the much-maligned veggie might only have been matched by John Gilfeather himself.

Darra Goldstein’s Finnish Rutabaga Pudding
2 1/2 pounds Gilfeather rutabagas
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Dash allspice
3 tbs. all-purpose flour
1 tbs. unsalted butter, softened
2 tbs. bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 1½-quart soufflĂ© dish. Peel and (1) cube the rutabagas, and boil in salted water to cover until soft, 25 to 30 minutes. (2) Drain and mash by hand. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then add milk, salt, spices, and flour. (3) Turn mixture into soufflĂ© dish. With a fork, mash together the butter and bread crumbs and spread over the top of the rutabaga mixture. Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour, until lightly browned. Serves 6 to 8 (adapted from The Vegetarian Hearth: Recipes and Reflections for the Cold Season, by Darra Goldstein; HarperCollins, 1996).



Read more: 'Gastronomica' Editor Darra Goldstein’s Finnish Rutabaga Pudding -- New York Magazine In Season Recipe http://nymag.com/restaurants/recipes/inseason/63014/#ixzz0cjU9XOtT

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