I was at the farmers’ market this weekend when a woman said “Oh my gosh I just love these!” out of the blue. I looked at her because I was the only person in earshot of her exclamation and saw her holding up some cute little root veggies with tops that resembled mustard greens. “What are they?”, I asked. She told me they were baby turnips, much cuter than grown-up turnips for sure, and they were delicious. So needless to say I bought a bunch, or two or three! 
Though the green tops may look mustard-y, their flavor is much more mild and they are very tasty pan sauteed with a bit of butter and salt and served with these roasted nuggets of yum! These little suckers are sooooo stinkin’ delicious with a mustard vinaigrette. I already had mustard on my brain so I went with it.
Easy, healthy, delicious…does it get any better?!
- 1 bunch baby turnips (about 6 or so)
- 1 clove garlic, slivered
- 1 teaspoon seedy whole-grain mustard
- 1 scallion, minced
- 1 Tablespoon parlsey, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
- sea salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 Tablespoon white balsamic vinegar or white wine vinegar
~ Preheat oven to 425 degrees with a baking dish inside. In a bowl whisk together vinegar, mustard, scallion parsley and 1/4 cup of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
~ Cut turnips in half lengthwise through the stems. Toss with remaining 1/8 cup olive oil, slivered garlic and season with salt and pepper. Spread evenly on the preheated baking dish and roast for 20 minutes or so until tender, turning halfway through.
~ Toss turnips with vinaigrette.
ENJOY!!!
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
Artichoke season is here! A stroll through the farmers’ market celebrates the delightfully bizarre prickly treat of the globe artichoke. As much as I love ordering just about anything from a restaurant that includes artichoke, I must admit to being slightly intimidated by them in my own kitchen. So, in an effort to demystify the artichoke, I made a delicious and simple braised dish that’s easy and delightful.
So pick up a gorgeous globe artichoke (or 4) and try this little recipe. Pair with pasta or white fish for a special seasonal meal.
I had loads of fun shooting still life shots of these pretty little thistles as you may notice…
- 4 medium artichokes
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or stock (chicken or vegetable)
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 teaspoons smashed garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 lemon sliced horizontally
- Small pinch ground pepper OR a tiny pinch of red pepper flakes for kick;)
~ Mix the olive oil, wine/stock, lemon juice, thyme, garlic, salt, lemons slices, and pepper/ red pepper flakes in a medium dutch oven or oven-safe pan.
~ Trim the top of each artichoke. Snip the tip off each leaf. Cut the artichoke in half and scoop out the fuzzy choke with a spoon.
~ Immediately put artichokes in dutch oven as you cut them and thoroughly coat them with the marinade. Cover and cook in oven at 400 degrees for about an hour or until fork tender.
~ Plate and drizzle with marinade. Crumble feta cheese on top and serve.
food photographer, food photography, los angeles, crystal cartier
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