What to do with this enormous turnip fresh from the garden? And who doesn’t love potatoes?
Adapted from another wonderful recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi here is a spicy and fragrant warm salad.
My turnip weighed 900g (2 lbs) and I used 600g (1⅓ lbs) of potatoes. Preheat the oven to 200ºC (390ºF). Peel the turnips and potatoes and cut them into 4cm (1½”) chunks. Peel all the cloves of a whole head of garlic. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the turnips, potatoes and garlic for 6 minutes. Drain, refresh under cold water and pat them dry. Now put them into a roasting pan and toss with ½ a teaspoon of sweet paprika, 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds, 1½ tablespoons of harissa (if you don’t have time to make this you can get away with chilli paste with the addition of some ground cumin, tomato paste and lemon juice), the rind of 1 orange, 1 teaspoon of dried rose petals (optional), 2 tablespoons of olive oil and salt to taste. Roast for 40 minutes until they begin to colour. Meanwhile in a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons of orange juice, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, 2 teaspoons of toasted and lightly crushed fennel seeds and a little salt. Slowly whisk in 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Arrange roquette leaves on a serving platter. When the vegetables are cooked scatter them over the leaves and drizzle with the prepared dressing. Serve warm.
michelle picker cooks 