Happy Thursday to you, friends!
I have a bunch of things to tell you, so hop on board for some miscellany.
I cooked up some Brussels sprouts.
Mr. FG sent me an article about how to make the best Brussels sprouts ever, and I happened to have a bag in the fridge from Hungry Harvest.
So, I followed the directions, and while I wouldn’t say that they were exactly like eating candy, we thought they were pretty tolerable.
And moreso when I made a batch using bacon grease instead of olive oil.
(A thing that is almost always true when you use bacon grease.)
I cannot handle rutabaga. Even roasted.
I’m a pretty tolerant eater when it comes to vegetables, and I make a point of eating a lot of them. Like, my lunch plate often looks like some variation of this:
There are really only a few veggies I flat-out won’t eat.
(Okra. And eggplant.)
But I’m going to have to add another one to the list: rutabaga.
I cubed it, roasted it with oil and spices, and oof, it was just not good at all to me.
It kinda looked like potatoes, but the taste was rather bitter.
I dunno…maybe there’s another recipe out there that’s better, but I did not like this at all.
The blogger who wrote this recipe waxed poetic about how much this was like potatoes, and after I tasted the roasted rutabaga, I was like, “Hmm. Perhaps it has been a very, very, very long time since this person has had a potato.”
So. Rutabaga is going to go on my “never” list at Hungry Harvest. 
I tried making my favorite granola with honey instead of maple syrup.
Because I was out of maple syrup.
Interestingly, I had to heat up the oil, sugar, and honey to get it to combine, and I never have to do that when I use maple syrup.
Also, I felt like the granola got brown a little faster than usual. So, this batch is slightly more toasted than I would prefer, but it’s still quite edible.
Verdict: maple syrup IS better in this recipe, but honey works all right too.
Maple syrup will go on my next Aldi shopping list.
Two recommendations
For those of you who are wondering what you should buy from Grove to get your free holiday apron and soaps, I have two recommendations.
(In case you missed it, this week only, you get three free Mrs. Meyer’s products and an apron with your first $20 Grove purchase.)
First, Grove started carrying Burt’s Bees! They’ve got tons of Burt’s Bees stuff to choose from, but my favorite is their tinted lip balm.
I’m not a huge lipstick wearer, but I do use lip balm, and this is a lovely combo of the two.
The colors are all rather muted, which is perfect for me and my girls. Sonia’s got Rose on her lips here and even though it’s one of the brighter shades, it’s not overwhelming.
It would be a perfect stocking stuffer!
Second, Grove came out with a line of air-tight reusable bags that work in place of disposable plastic.
I’m always looking for options to reduce my disposable plastic use, and I love that these come in a fairly large size that works for things like rolls or graham crackers (most alternatives I’ve tried so far have been pretty small.)
The great thing about these is that they will eventually pay for themselves as you use them in place of disposables.
Grove has eleventy-zillion things you can choose from, of course, but those are two of my current faves for you.
Ok, I can’t resist throwing in one more:
Grove’s soy candles are really beautiful and would make a perfect gift for a candle-loving person over the holidays.
Click here to get your order started!
Aaaand that’s all, folks!
P.S. I lied. Another thing: TODAY is the day I’m hosting a giveaway for a lovely bouquet of Farmgirl flowers. The giveaway is over on Instagram, so go hop on over there (either on mobile or on your computer) for all the details.
P.P.S. I’ll probably hop on Facebook Live today around 9:45 or 10:00 am EST. I’m not very good at Facebook Live (total noob!), but if you want to come hang out with me then, I’d love to see you! The more, the merrier.
If you ever find yourself with a rutabaga again and that frugal part of you overwhelms the part of you who remembers how un-potato-like that rutabaga was. . . dice it up small and make a big pot of vegetable beef soup (homemade beef broth, tomato juice, carrots, onions, celery, corn, green beans, turnips, peas, cabbage, beef, barley, etc.) and toss in the rutabaga. I’ll bet you won’t notice the flavor at all in a huge stock pot full of soup. Then again, I’m not sure I’ve ever put rutabagas in my soup, but my gut is telling me it would work out a-ok.
I like rutabaga in soup and stew, but my favorite way to eat it is mashed with carrots and butter.
We always eat rutabaga mashed with carrots and butter. Funny things is we call it a turnip.
It’s so interesting how people have different tolerances for different foods. I think so much of it depends on where you live also. In the Deep South, rutebagas and okra are pretty common vegetables to eat. But I also wouldn’t think rutabagas would be very good roasted. We’ve always boiled them.
Rutabaga isn’t my favorite – my family grew up in Down East Maine, and root crops were staples. Rutabaga was often in soups, or boiled dinners – sometimes mashed. I don’t think I ever tried it roasted. One thing too, with root crops like carrots, beets, and rutabagas, the longer they stay in the ground (with frosts) the sweeter they get. Now brussels sprouts? I’ve gave eating them another try this fall – with maple syrup, pecans, and bacon. . . I can still taste the brussels sprout flavor, but it was tolerable, lol. Totally agree about eggplant, and I’ve just tried deep fried okra. I can eat deep fried okra, with dipping sauce.
Ha! I was wondering what this exotic rutabaga was and when I googled I discovered it was swede. So not exotic! UK vs US language again. Try boiling it with carrots and mash them together with butter, salt, pepper and a little nutmeg. Goes nicely with sausages or a roast dinner, especially with gravy. British gravy I mean, made from meat juices and flour. Or toad in the hole (dare you to look that up ).
I use golden syrup for my granola as maple syrup expensive here but I don’t think there’s a direct US equivalent.
The only way I’ve eaten rutabaga is in pasties! A Michigan UP tradition! I’m also very picky about my eggplant! But I love okra (though I haven’t eaten it much).
And we ran out of maple syrup a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been frugally choosing to not buy it, but I agree it is much better in granola so it may be time for me to splurge!
I was going to say to make pasties with it! I married a yooper and love making and eating pasties. Although I use sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes.
Sam’s has maple syrup for $10.28 for 32 oz. That seems pretty reasonable to me and the best deal I have found for non fancy maple syrup.
https://www.samsclub.com/sams/dc-organic-maple-syrup-32-oz/prod20051583.ip?xid=plp:product:1:1
I think my MIL used rutabaga to make pickle a while back. And yes, it was bitter. I wasn’t a fan. But my hubby and MIL ate it with no problem @_@
My husband is Chinese, so he and my MIL like and cook eggplant a lot. They usually stir-fry it with soy sauce and add some salt. Sometimes it tastes really good. Sometimes it’s just ok.
I’m fine with all kinds of veggies as long as it’s not too bitter ^.^
I’m a Yooper and we love pasties. I have a great recipe, we just made up a batch when visiting our daughter. She misses them and of course can’t buy them in Colorado. So now her freezer is stocked with some.
Rutabaga .. I am not sure if your family will enjoy or not but the only way we eat it is if its boiled like potatoes. Then you mash with potatoes and serve.. or the other option is to boil . mash well and add butter and brown sugar .
My dad would make it for Thanksgiving and he would make it like the mashed potatoes and then blend in some potato to offset the bitterness. While I preferred the potatoes, I would eat some of his mix. I do agree that rutabaga would work well in stews and soups. Parsnip is not something I would eat by itself but I do like it in soups and stews, especially beef based ones.
I’ve only had rutabaga plain (as in not mixed in a pasty–yes, I’m another Michigander) once and I remember the taste being sweet, so I’m assuming there was brown sugar in it. Hmmm. I was surprised when Kristen said it was bitter.
I also don’t like eggplant … except when grilled with olive oil and salt/pepper. Then it has a meaty taste and texture. And okra is only good if it’s been deep-fried. Must be my northern palate. The odor of Brussels sprouts cooking is enough to put me off it forever. Bleah.
That’s the way I’ve always had it. Didn’t know any other way, tho, could see it in soup.
My mom always uses a rutabaga in her beef stew and it is delicious!
I will have to try the Brussel sprout recipe – I’ve always despised them but this recipe sounds good.
Sonia is gorgeous. The red hair really becomes her coloring!
You took the words right out of my mouth…saw her and my only thought was that she was a beautiful girl!
We have a traditional family recipe for Thanksgiving using rutabagas. I love making the dish, but I don’t eat it. We cube it, and boil it with equal parts of cut carrots. When they are tender, we mash it with butter. It’s very healthy and most people love it – just not me.
Thanks for the tip on the Grove favorites, I’m always looking for good gifts and stocking stuffers.
I never have learned to like rutabaga but I cook it sometimes just for my husband. It has a tiny “bite” to it, in my opinion. I can’t explain it what that bite tastes like to me. And I don’t like Brussels sprouts. Or radishes.
I do love eggplant but only when peeled. The peel is often bitter to me. I fry it with breading , sauté it in olive oil with Italian seasoning, and make eggplant parmigiana with it. And I like baba ghanoush. I like okra, too, if it’s fried or pickled.
The lip balm is looking good on that pretty girl! I think I will check out Grove and see what they have.
Don’t give up on rutabagas just yet! Boiled with other veggies and puréed in soup they are delicious! Or cube, boil/steam and put in a casserole or pot pie. Or make root vegetable gratin with potatoes, carrots, rutabaga, turnips. There are lots of yummy ways to eat them. But definately boil or steam and mix with some sort of sauce. Or mash them up with some potatoes.
Urf, since I’m also not a fan of eggplant or okra, I have a suspicion that rutabaga is off my list of veggies as well! Thanks for trying it so we don’t have to.
Kristen, you have to try this recipe for Brussels Sprouts. The secret is the shredding (cut in half the long way, then cut the long halves into shreds)…. I don’t even use the bacon, but I just shred a huge amount, and saute in olive oil with lots of shallots, salt, and pepper. Then at the end, fresh lemon squeezed over and brown sugar until it tastes right. Here is the recipe that I first tried (and now I just use the previously mentioned things on the fly): http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/jamie-deen/shredded-brussels-sprouts-recipe-2108854
This dish is pretty much my favorite side dish in all of history now. Seriously. You can buy pre-shredded sprouts, but they don’t taste as good if you do it yourself (too finely shredded imo).
I was going to suggest this! I’ve never made this particular recipe but shredded brussel sprouts are the best.
That picture of Sonia is amazing! She’s got a very 20’s – 30’s vibe going on with her hair and I love it
I have always thought she looked like she belongs in that era…and I thought that even when she was a toddler! There’s something about her face and her hair.
I will happily eat all the eggplant and okra that is alloted to you.
Just like I ate all my granddaddy’s allotment of brussels sprouts.
You can have ALL of them.
We’re having eggplant tonight, in fact!
Another eggplant lover here! But I can only eat it when the husband is gone because he hates even the smell of it. Okay by me, since he only makes liver and onions when I am out of town! Don’t like beets, either, which is a mortal sin for someone who comes from Russian immigrants.
I got a rutabega in my hungry harvest, too, and was in the comments findings tips. As usual, your commenters didn’t disappoint! I think I’ll boil and put it in some stew I’m planning to make this weekend. Or maybe I’ll keep it on the side & just add into the bowl in case any of us don’t care for it—I don’t want to ruin the entire pot by mistake! I feel similarly about okra but surprised by your eggplant dislike–I feel like it is tasteless (though can be bitter, you can cube and soak in cold salted water to remove the bitterness). To me eggplant is one of those things like tofu that just soaks up the flavor of the sauce, so I enjoy it in curries though I would never just eat it on its own.
Kristen, I didn’t read through all of the comments but if you boil turnips or rutabagas cubed and drain the cooking liquid (I know, all the vitamins) once their just barely tender, most of the bitterness will go out with the water. Then make a white sauce and they are usually delicious. It makes a difference what soil they grow in, too.
I LOVE brussels sprouts with bacon! I make mine by heating chopped bacon in a cast iron skillet, so the grease gets everywhere. Then I add halved brussels sprouts, fry them and the bacon up a little, then add minced garlic. It’s so good, even my four year old loves them!
Cooked rutabagas in soup is good, but I like rutabagas raw. When I was a teen I’d eat them like apples. Nowadays I like them thinly sliced in lieu of crackers.
Sonia is BEAUTIFUL, like classic movie star beautiful!
Ohh, I didn’t think of eating it raw. Hmm, like maybe with some dip?
Yes! I ONLY eat them raw. Delicious! Kinda like Kohlrabi.
Be brave and try it in a smoothie??
You may change your mind when you make the following. The carrots are the sweetness necessary to offset the bitterness of rutabaga. I found this to be pretty good, hope you do too:
Mashed rutabagas and carrots are flavored with a dash of nutmeg. It’s a simple dish with vibrant color and wonderful flavor.
Related: Rutabaga Gratin
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
Ingredients:
3 cups diced rutabaga
2 medium carrots, diced
2 tablespoons butter
dash ground or freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions:
Put the diced rutabaga and carrots in a medium saucepan. Cover with water and about 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low; continue cooking for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Drain thoroughly.
Add the butter and mash until fairly smooth. Season with nutmeg, salt, and pepper, to taste.
Makes 4 Servings(double for more persons)
I was going to post this suggestion as well!
I do my Brussels sprouts on my cooktop…olive oil, halved bsprouts, chopped onion, minced garlic, s&p. I usually cover it briefly toward the end to soften the middle a bit. I use my small Dutch oven so the oil doesn’t splatter. I LOVE okra anyway you fix it. I love eggplant. Never had rutabagas.
I had okra when I was a kid, and the slimy inside stuff is what gets me.
Ok, and the kind of fuzzy outside.
Nothing in my memory of it is good! Ha.
Okra tossed with some flour, salt and pepper, then fried in an iron skillet until there is no more slimy. Crispy and delicious. Slice a fresh out of the garden tomato and enjoy!
A. LOVE Brussels sprouts!!
B. Hate okra and eggplant also
C. I like roasted rutabaga. Not as much as roasted parsnips (they taste like walnuts to me when roasted). But they’re not bad.
Makes me want roasted Brussels sprout chips right now mmmmm
I agree. In the south, we boil them like you would a potato. I like to mash them a little with a fork or potato masher. I don’t know what spices you used, but salt, pepper and little sugar is all that is needed. I am also curious as to how you cook your okra. In the south there is nothing better in the summer than a skillet of fried okra and fresh tomatoes. YUM! I too always find it interesting how food is cooked differently across the regions.
Re rutabaga or Swede.
I peel it and grate it raw in salads. It’s not bitter at all raw but it has more of a nutty/cabbage flavour. Yummy with a lettuce salad or with grated carrots or both . It’s one of my winter staples when other veggies are soo expensive and Swede is not. I don’t eat it cooked. Hope that helps
I have to admit I was a bit surprised when you said you were cooking the rutabaga. I’m ok with it raw (I like jicama better, but rutabaga can slot in similarly) but cooked it is too turnipy. (Turnips—also more edible raw.)
Rutabaga, in my experience, can be very hit or miss. Some are just much better than others.
They’re a staple vegetable in my home. We peel and boil them, then mash them with butter, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. The sugar is the real trick, and I realize it cuts down on the healthiness of eating a vegetable. Still, it counteracts that bitter taste and improves the taste eleventy billion percent.
I would highly recommend trying this method before giving up on rutabaga.