My deepest apologies to any turnips who feel slighted by the previous post’s title.
In so many, many way, turnips have far more to offer than John Kasich. For one, turnips are strikingly prettier than Kasich, as evidenced by the photo in my last post. For good measure, here is more documentary evidence of their comeliness:
(Photo by Flickr user wikioticslan, used under a Creative Commons license.)
I shall refrain from posting a photo of Kasich here because I like my blog to be visually pretty even when I write about doom and gloom. (Srsly. This has been Kittywampus policy from the get-go.) Besides, his mug was all over the banner ads on Alternet (!!) throughout the fall, and I’d be just as happy if I never saw it again.
Another way turnips are unlike Kasich: They have never once threatened to run their bus over anyone, having no bus at their command and also being rather timorous vegetables. Quoth Kasich:
“If you think you’re going to stop us, you’re crazy. You will not stop us. We will beat you … This is our chance. Please leave the cynicism and political maneuvering at the door … If you’re not on the bus, we’ll run over you with the bus. And I’m not kidding.”
—John Kasich, Republican and governor-elect of Ohio, said at a luncheon for state lobbyists.
By comparison, turnips are more likely to roll with you. They’ll never roll over you – nor roll you over. They are political naïfs: earnest and unassuming, with their feet planted firmly in the earth, their convictions deeply-rooted.
That hasn’t stopped Margaret Atwood from proposing a turnip for Prime Minister of Canada. Atwood declared: “I’d vote for a turnip if it was accountable, transparent, a parliamentary democrat, and listened to people.”
Sounds about right.
Patron cat of Kittywampus (1985-2001)
Turnips are lovely. They’re down-home and friendly. They’re cheap and tasty. They love to hunker down in stews, and are friends with many an unemployed person. I <3 turnips and they <3 me.
Unlike Kasich, or his Doppelgänger Corbett here in Pennsylvania, who are bitter like earwax.
That earwax analogy is not going to leave me. If earwax could smile, its name would be Kasich.
But you’re inspired me to try cooking turnips, which I admit I’ve never done. I came to love Brussel sprouts and beets as a 30something adult, so why not start an affair with turnips? I have plenty of good veggie cookbooks. If I can get ‘em to cook up sweet, we could have a lovely relationship.
Yeah, they’re sweet without being like candy. I generally put them in stews along with or in place of potatoes.
This recipe for chickpea and winter vegetable stew includes turnips and is both really good on a cold night and quite easy. (I couldn’t find harissa. I added some paprika based on a google search of “harissa substitute.”)
If you have Madhur Jaffrey’s Indian Cooking, there’s a good turnip recipe in there. If you don’t have it, I highly, highly recommend it.
Thanks, Chingona. The picture at the link is pretty! (Somehow my soups and stews never come out quite so neat looking.) I think I’d prefer paprika anyway, since my tastes tend toward the less-spicy.
Those roots poking out are quite sexy!
If you like them, you will love red and gold beets together.