Yes, these are turnips in the picture – specifically Hirosaki Reds. I promise. Last week our CSA share had red turnips and white radishes. The opposite of what we are used to, right? I continue to be amazed by different colors that vegetables come in. Frequently we think of a vegetable as one color but many times there’s a lot more variety.
I don’t typically seek out turnips. Ed wasn’t even sure he had ever had turnips before. I have used them with other root vegetables either mashed or roasted in the past, so I’m pretty sure he has.
Red turnips are less bitter and a bit sweeter than traditional white turnips. However, any color turnip will work with this recipe as all lend themselves to roasting. If you have never roasted sage leaves, you are in for a treat. They crisp up nicely and have a great savory flavor which goes well with the turnips. I have a few varieties of sage in my herb pots that are still going strong. You’ll see that the recipe calls for adding the leaves half way through roasting the turnips which prevents the them from burning to a crisp.
We are nearing the end of our first season with Bryn Clovis Farm CSA in Willistown Township in Malvern, Pennsylvania. It’s our first time participating in a CSA. It’s a treat to have access to vegetables that are freshly picked. We also appreciate the new things that we have tried (like red turnips!). Ranney Moran founded this CSA two seasons ago and is doing amazing work. Plus, I enjoy that I can see it in the distance from my office window as my company’s property borders the farm property. If you’re looking for a CSA share next season, please keep Ranney and Bryn Clovis Farm in mind.
I love the color contrast – don’t the red turnips go great with these green sage leaves?
Note: My Aunt Susie M made this recipe and it didn’t turn out as expected. The turnips I used were fresh from the farm (young and tender) while Susie used ones from the grocery store which were older and never softened up while roasting.
Photo Credit: Fresh turnip bunch by Ranney Moran.
| Roasted Turnips with Sage Leaves | | Print |
- 1-1/2 pounds turnips, trimmed and cut into ½-inch pieces (see Notes)
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil (or to taste)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 30 to 40 fresh sage leaves
- 3 medium cloves garlic, minced
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Cover a large cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, toss turnips and olive oil. Season with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
- Add turnips to the prepared pan. Set the bowl aside.
- Roast turnips in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile add sage leaves and garlic to the reserved bowl.
- Carefully add partially roasted turnips to the bowl and toss. (I lift the parchment paper from the cookie sheet and use it to transfer the squash to the bowl.) Transfer it back to the cookie sheet.
- Roast for another 10 minutes or so until the turnips are tender and browned in places and sage leaves are crispy.
- Serve immediately.
Such a striking color and compelling flavor combination. We will be seeking out turnips at our local farmers market this weekend! Thank you for the inspiration, Nicole!
Spenser – I’m pleased to have inspired some turnip seeking out!
Sounds wonderful. And they’re so pretty!
Mimi – Thank you!
We always seemed to have an overabundance of turnips growing up on the farm; so I do enjoy them occasionally. Plus I have a lot of sage in my garden and decided that this was a good chance to use some. I purchased regular grocery store turnips, but this recipe did not turn out well with them. They never got soft even with extra roasting time. I think young tender turnips are a must.
Susie – I definitely used young tender turnips and I can see how they would roast up nicely. Too bad it’s not the case for the older, less tender turnips. I appreciate you giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback.