Rutabaga and Apple Scallop

Generations come together over Thanksgiving dinners, reconnecting to honor the past, consider the present, and express optimism for the future. The traditional Thanksgiving dinner is a celebration of community as well as the harvest. Over the next few days, I’ll feature a variety of vegetable dishes you may want to add to your Thanksgiving feast. I’ll also give you a super recipe for Cranberry Sauce, another for a Molded Cranberry Salad, great Turkey Dressing recipe, and my favorite Pumpkin Pie and Maple Mousse recipes.

The bounty of the autumn harvest includes root vegetables served in delicious and interesting ways. Hold fast to your traditions - but enjoy adding something new! Just as there’s a strong likelihood that turnips and rutabagas will land on your Thanksgiving table, there’s an even stronger likelihood that a couple of dinner guests will turnip their noses at that dish (Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Get it ...? Turnip their noses …? Yes, well … Moving right along ...).

Today, the humble rutabaga takes center stage! I love that name: Ru-ta-ba-ga! It sounds like a Latin dance. People sometimes confuse rutabagas and turnips. Rutabagas - occasionally  called “Swedes” - are large, heavy, yellow-fleshed globes. Turnips - sometimes called “neeps” - have smooth, pink-tinged skins, and are smaller. 

Rutabagas are the perfect complement to a Thanksgiving turkey - especially cooked as these three recipes are. 

Rutabaga and Apple Scallop:

To Prepare the Rutabaga Mash: 

1 large rutabaga, peeled and diced to equal 4-to-6 c.

2 tbsp. butter or margarine

3 medium apples, peeled and sliced to equal about 3 c.

½ c. light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 tsp. cinnamon

To Prepare the Topping:

⅓ c. all-purpose flour

⅓ c. brown sugar

2 tbsp. butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. Bring diced rutabagas to the boil in lightly salted water. Immediately reduce heat, simmering 15 min. or until tender. Drain and mash hot rutabagas. Add butter and set aside. In a separate bowl, toss apples with brown sugar and cinnamon. Combine well with rutabagas. Transfer to greased 2-quart casserole and set aside. Using fingers, rub flour, brown sugar, and butter together in a separate bowl, sprinkling over rutabagas. Bake 45 - 60 min., until apples are tender. Serves 8.

Dice and peel rutabaga; slice and peel apple:
Spice them up with fragrant cinnamon 

Simmer diced rutabaga until tender

Mash hot rutabagas with butter

Sprinkle on topping

This dish is a treat at any dinner - not just Thanksgiving!