Rutabaga — YES, RUTABAGA

Rutabaga always makes me think of , an actress I much admired. Not that there's any physical resemblance; it's just, you know, the name.

ANYWAY, I said yesterday at Fatal Foodies that I would post on my blog today about roast rutabaga. A tempting topic, yes?

Rutabagas look a lot like turnips. They taste a bit like turnips, too, but stronger. I've been trying to expand my root vegetable appreciation beyond potatoes and carrots, and have come to love turnips and parsnips, so I decided to give rutabagas a try.

I bought one as big as my head. Well, yes, that's a lie, but it was bigger than my cat's head, and that's the truth! It was too big, actually, because I cut it in half and that was enough for Charlie and me (grammatically correct).

Here's how:

ROAST RUTABAGA

rutabaga (duh), peeled and cubed
salt & pepper to taste
sugar, maple syrup or agave or something sweet
olive oil

Cut the rutabaga into cubes. Toss with oil and seasoning and a bit of sweet. Roast at 400 for 30 to 60 minutes or until tender. This big boy was tough, and could have cooked longer than the 45 minutes we gave it. Smaller, more tender ones would cook faster, even with the cubes being the same size as I cut.

I still have the other half, so we'll have that another time. I may boil the beast first and THEN roast it.

It was pretty good, actually. I look forward to trying it with fresh rutabaga from the farmers' market this summer.

WRITING PROMPT: A character tries something new and isn't entirely successful. Does he or she try again or consider the attempt a dead loss?

MA