Roasted Turnip Ghanoush

I just recently celebrated my birthday and was given a wonderful new cookbook titled Roots by Diane Morgan. It's a beautifully put together book of over 225 recipes centered around root vegetables and root spices with gorgeous photos to accompany. The chapters are dedicated to specific roots (beets, parsnips,etc.) tubers (potatoes, yams, etc.) rhizomes (ginger, turmeric, wasabi etc.) and corms (arrowhead, water chestnuts, etc.) and each is described with a little background on it's history and lore, variety, nutritional value, availability, proper storage, and basic preparation techniques.

I was thrilled when I opened this gift, especially since many of the root vegetables listed in this book are in abundance this time of year. I decided that I had to make one of the recipes and post it on The Flavor Effect for all of you to try. There are so many enticing entries that it seemed a bit overwhelming to choose just one, but once I flipped to the chapter about turnips and saw the first recipe, roasted turnip ghanoush, I knew it would be the winner.

Baba Ghanoush is a traditional Middle Eastern dish made up of roasted eggplant puree with sesame tahini and spices. This version substitutes turnips for the eggplant, and adds dates and yogurt to sweeten it up bit and give a creamy texture. Before cooking this recipe I had no idea how amazingly delicious it would actually be. The ghanoush gives a sweet, tangy, and slightly nutty flavor with a kick of spicy garlic that lingers on your taste buds and leaves you begging for more. It is the perfect dish for the next potluck you attend accompanied with some cut raw vegetables, crackers, or bread to dip into the spread. It would also be great to keep in your fridge as a condiment for sandwiches or bagels.

Turnips are very low in calories and are packed full of vitamin C, making them a perfect choice for winter months to boost your immune system when cold season seems to be at its peak. If you purchase turnips with the leaves still intact, add them to a soup or stir-fry instead of tossing them in the compost. They are an excellent source of vitamins A, C, and K as well as potassium and calcium.

Roasted Turnip Ghanoush:
Makes about 4 cups
Cook and prep time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients:
2 lbs. turnips (about 4 medium)
1 cup pitted dates
1 cup water
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I use goat yogurt due to the reduced lactose for easy digestion)
1/3 cup roasted sesame tahini
Juice from 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place unpeeled turnips onto a baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until very soft. Transfer to a bowl and cover to cool. The steam will make it easier to peel the skin off.

While the turnips are roasting, put the water and dates into a small sauce pot and boil for about 5 minutes until dates become soft. Transfer to a food processor and blend until pureed. Set aside to cool and measure out 1/3 cup to use in the ghanoush. The remaining puree can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a month and can be used for your next batch of ghanoush or simply use as a spread on some crackers or bread for a naturally sweet snack.

When the turnips are cool enough to handle, peel off and discard the skin. Cut turnips into small chunks and add to the food processor along with the yogurt, date puree, tahini, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and parsley. Process until smooth and creamy.

Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy!