Need cooking ideas

[LoveTrains]

So I joined this thing at work that is kind of like a short term CSA. I get a box of veggies a week.

I now have red turnips and parsnips. Help! What do I do with it? And radishes. 

I am googling but it is kind of overwhelming.

I also got a spaghetti squash and plan to make this:
www.skinnytaste.com/2013/01/baked-spaghetti-squash-and-cheese.html

I also got some carrots so I might make carrot cake muffins.

[womet]

Make a pot roast in the crockpot and put some turnips, parsnips, carrots and potatoes in with it.

[Deleted]

You can mash parsnips like potatoes.

www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/parsnip-muffins-recipe/index.html

www.marthastewart.com/275724/parsnip-recipes/@center/276955/seasonal-produce-recipe-guide#335713

[Pom]

www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/radishes-with-butter-and-salt-recipe2/index.html

Radishes, buttered bread and salt are awesome.

[ESF]

Turnips and parsnips can go in soups.  I will make root vegetable soups and put in some combo of winter squash, turnips, parsnips, and carrots.  There are lots of recipes out there.  

They are also good mixed in with a mashed potato recipe.  My standard Thanksgiving mashed potato is half potato, half parsnip, but this recipe is also incredible

www.marthastewart.com/940562/smashed-root-vegetables-and-caramelized-leeks

You can also cube them and roast them with or without other root vegetables, or brussels sprouts.  I often toss them with olive oil, maple syrup, and a pinch of cayenne before I roast.

Radishes - I eat them on bread with good butter and sea salt.  Dip them in stuff.  They are great if you do a quick pickle -- thinly slice, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar and let them sit for 5-10 minutes.   So good like that.  I do that a lot as part of a dinner party appetizer spread.  Or I do that to them before I put them on a sandwich or in a salad.

[dexteroni]

I have no idea what to do with turnips and parsnips. Those are two things I'm glad to have not gotten yet in my CSA box yet, but I know my time is coming, so I'll be watching this post for ideas.

But I had radishes all summer. I made some into a slaw, and put some on tacos. But my favorite was to spread some good, salted butter, like Plugra or Kerrygold, on pumpernickel bread, and place thinly sliced radishes on top. Yum. The creaminess of the butter contrasted with the crunch of the radishes was a great combination.

Slaw: www.marthastewart.com/332417/cucumber-radish-slaw

Taco topping: www.simplecomfortfood.com/2011/05/30/mexican-radish-salad/

[dexteroni]

Ha - we all like the bread and butter idea for radishes. It is really good.

[mbcdefg]

I made beef stew this week and added some parsnip, and it tasted good.

I've never made vegetable tian, but I want to. It looks like you could add turnip: www.thelonelybean.com/2010/03/tomato-and-root-vegetable-tian/

Mashed turnips are really tasty.

[magdala]

Chestnut and parsnip soup is really good. I use this recipe.

www.bhg.com/recipe/soups/chestnut-and-parsnip-soup/

[ijack]

Oct 16, 2013 10:53:43 GMT -5 ribollita said:

Oct 16, 2013 10:52:33 GMT -5 Pom said:

www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/radishes-with-butter-and-salt-recipe2/index.html

Radishes, buttered bread and salt are awesome.

Especially with beer.

so freaking good.

[tacokick]

You can roast and sauté radishes!

[gt7301b]

I made this winter vegetable soup this weekend, it was fabulous.

www.myrecipes.com/recipe/chickpea-winter-vegetable-stew-10000001932619/

[lolo]

I do a parsnip and carrot mash. It is really yummy. Add garlic, butter, salt and pepper. Enjoy!

[protozoa]

Mashed parsnips with lots of butter are heaven!

[wanderlustfoodie]

Love parsnip puree. Or roasted parsnips and turnips.

For radishes, in addition to the bread and butter idea, this recipe is delicious:

www.foodandwine.com/recipes/cucumber-radish-salad-with-creme-fraiche-dill-and-mint

[sjh722]

Oct 16, 2013 10:49:03 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

I also got a spaghetti squash and plan to make this:
www.skinnytaste.com/2013/01/baked-spaghetti-squash-and-cheese.html

Let me know if that turns out for you. I made it last week and it was inedible. I've had good luck with her other recipes and I'm a pretty good cook, so I have no idea where it all fell apart for me. It sounded good!

(There's a recipe for a spaghetti squash lasagna on skinny taste that I made before that was very good, if you're looking for other recipes.)

[msmerymac]

I'd mash the root vegetables and serve with meat.

I add sliced radishes to salads. Nice for a change!

[ESF]

Oct 16, 2013 14:27:52 GMT -5 wanderlustfoodie said:

Love parsnip puree. Or roasted parsnips and turnips.

For radishes, in addition to the bread and butter idea, this recipe is delicious:

www.foodandwine.com/recipes/cucumber-radish-salad-with-creme-fraiche-dill-and-mint

This looks really good!  I'm definitely going to make this soon!

[wanderlustfoodie]

Oct 16, 2013 14:55:25 GMT -5 ESF said:

Oct 16, 2013 14:27:52 GMT -5 wanderlustfoodie said:

Love parsnip puree. Or roasted parsnips and turnips.

For radishes, in addition to the bread and butter idea, this recipe is delicious:

www.foodandwine.com/recipes/cucumber-radish-salad-with-creme-fraiche-dill-and-mint

This looks really good!  I'm definitely going to make this soon!

I actually thought the cucumber:radish ratio was a bit off so feel free to add more radish, especially if you love them!

[LoveTrains]

Thanks for all of these lovely suggestions! I really appreciate all of your help.

I am pretty picky and don't really like soups...but everything else sounds good.

I should also add that I have most of my main courses/entrees for dinner already planned for next week and this week so I mostly need sides. I guess the good news is that my root vegetables will keep for a while because I really don't have time to eat anything until Sunday as I am working all weekend and the rest of this week (like, 8 am - 10 pm kind of days.

[LoveTrains]

Oct 16, 2013 14:30:36 GMT -5 sjh722 said:

Oct 16, 2013 10:49:03 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

I also got a spaghetti squash and plan to make this:
www.skinnytaste.com/2013/01/baked-spaghetti-squash-and-cheese.html

Let me know if that turns out for you. I made it last week and it was inedible. I've had good luck with her other recipes and I'm a pretty good cook, so I have no idea where it all fell apart for me. It sounded good!

(There's a recipe for a spaghetti squash lasagna on skinny taste that I made before that was very good, if you're looking for other recipes.)

Oh no! A friend of mine posted it on facebook and said its her family's favorite meal, so that is the rec I was going by. 

[sjh722]

Oct 16, 2013 14:59:52 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

Oct 16, 2013 14:30:36 GMT -5 sjh722 said:

Let me know if that turns out for you. I made it last week and it was inedible. I've had good luck with her other recipes and I'm a pretty good cook, so I have no idea where it all fell apart for me. It sounded good!

(There's a recipe for a spaghetti squash lasagna on skinny taste that I made before that was very good, if you're looking for other recipes.)

Oh no! A friend of mine posted it on facebook and said its her family's favorite meal, so that is the rec I was going by. 

If it turns out when you re-make it let me know, it could have been user error on my end. I had such high hopes when I saw it! 

[LoveTrains]

Oct 16, 2013 14:30:36 GMT -5 sjh722 said:

Oct 16, 2013 10:49:03 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

I also got a spaghetti squash and plan to make this:
www.skinnytaste.com/2013/01/baked-spaghetti-squash-and-cheese.html

Let me know if that turns out for you. I made it last week and it was inedible. I've had good luck with her other recipes and I'm a pretty good cook, so I have no idea where it all fell apart for me. It sounded good!

(There's a recipe for a spaghetti squash lasagna on skinny taste that I made before that was very good, if you're looking for other recipes.)

UGH I should have listened to your warning!

So I only had one big spaghetti squash, and I didn't have baby spinach but I had tatsoi which is kind of similar (from my veggie box).

So I roast the squash and I am making the roux. I found it very bizarre that it called for chicken stock so I omitted that. So I have the roux and add the cheese, taste the cheese sauce, and it seems not quite cheesy enough but a good consistency, nice and thick. I didn't have any more cheese - and I used a half pound of really nice local cheddar - but it tasted too milky/not cheesey enough. I didn't have any more cheese so just added in my spaghetti squash and tatsoi and baked it.

Whomp whomp whomp - after the second bake it was just kind of watery and still not cheesey enough. I was half tempted to cook up some pasta to help soak up the sauce but I don't know if that will save it....

[LoveTrains]

If I had more spaghetti squash it might not have been so bad.

[sjh722]

Oct 16, 2013 19:37:36 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

If I had more spaghetti squash it might not have been so bad.

This was part of my problem too! I actually measured my spaghetti squash and halved the cheese sauce since I didn't have the full amount called for.

I did use the chicken stock and it was still terrible. Really soupy. And I typically have no trouble with roux, sauces, homemade mac and cheese, etc, so I was wondering if it was me or the recipe.

I'm sorry your dinner didn't turn out. I was so crabby that I made something homemade, it was awful, and we didn't even have an emergency frozen pizza on hand.

[LoveTrains]

Oct 16, 2013 19:45:05 GMT -5 sjh722 said:

Oct 16, 2013 19:37:36 GMT -5 LoveTrains said:

If I had more spaghetti squash it might not have been so bad.

This was part of my problem too! I actually measured my spaghetti squash and halved the cheese sauce since I didn't have the full amount called for.

I did use the chicken stock and it was still terrible. Really soupy. And I typically have no trouble with roux, sauces, homemade mac and cheese, etc, so I was wondering if it was me or the recipe.

I'm sorry your dinner didn't turn out. I was so crabby that I made something homemade, it was awful, and we didn't even have an emergency frozen pizza on hand.

Yeah the entire thing took me well over an hour to make which is super disappointing I don't know if maybe I needed to press more liquid out of the cooked spaghetti squash? I tried to do that but I just can't figure out how my thick roux went all water-y in the oven.

Sorry your dinner didn't turn out either.

[matildasun]

If you have the greens, we loved this radish, carrot, and beet green salad