This is why we're friends

One of my lunch buddies stopped by my office the other day, looking for a snack (still sharing this year's haul of Elmer's). When he asked if I had lunch plans, I confessed there was nothing in my fridge except condiments and a bunch of turnips.

J - "I don't know that I've ever had a turnip."
L - "They're kinda funky, you'd know if you had"
J - "Well, that's when you gotta cover it up with lots of mayonnaise."
L - "This is why we're friends."

After this bit of inspiration, I went home to tackle the turnips, top to hairy bottom. The roots went into a slaw with carrots, that I found at Coastal Living magazine while looking for something that also incorporates dill. The greens recipe, from 101 Cookbooks, surprised me as a headline on gmail, and like that, an all turnip meal was devised. There's no mayo involved, but the turnip greens get mixed with cream, eggs, garlic, and herbs, and baked in a buttery pie crust with Gruyere melted on top. Disguising the turnips, mission accomplished.

Here's a photo of the finished product, on a bunny plate:


The slaw was flavorful, and the spiciness of the turnips came through while the funk was well hidden. I think the dill, cumin, and garlic dressing would translate well to all sorts of shredded veggies for a light, summery side. The tarte recipe is written for two shells, with one going in the freezer for later. As much as I would have liked to stash a second crust in the freezer, my food processor is exactly big enough for one pie crust. The recipe, with white and spelt flours and cornmeal, is worth doubling up on for future savory applications, if you have the capacity. Everything went smoothly, until the rolled-out dough got stuck to the counter while i searched for the bottom piece of my tarte pan. Still tasty!