I am constantly reading cookbooks. I realized long ago that when I would be reading something with a plot or that required concentration and focus across several days, if I got busy and had to miss a few days of reading, I would lose too many details, making the experience less rich and more frustrating. But cookbooks have no plot! I do like cookbooks that include narratives about ingredients or food traditions or other aspects of cooking, but for the most part these episodes are not diminished if I can’t get to my pleasure reading for several days in a row.

Right now, among the nine cookbooks I currently have borrowed from the library, I’ve been reading through Ruffage: A Practical Guide to Vegetables by Abra Berens. Her recipe for caramelizing onions suggests deglazing the pan with white wine or hard cider. I immediately thought of the Johnny Mash hard cider from Hilltop Orchards in Richmond, MA, my go-to for making gravy. Then a little bit further on in Ruffage, there was a recipe that caramelizes onions before adding parsnips and cream to make a luscious purée. There were no parsnips in fridge, but I did have a Cape Cod turnip.

The Cape Cod turnip, also known as an Eastham turnip, is one of my favorite fall vegetables. I have no idea if it’s a cross between a turnip and something else, but it looks like a white rutabaga. I had first encountered them many, many years ago when I briefly lived on Nantucket, where they were called – of course – Nantucket turnips. I hadn’t seen one for ages, until I found them at our wonderful local specialty market, Guido’s Fresh Marketplace, some years ago. I have been a devoted fan ever since, and, because they store so well, I usually always make sure to have one or two in the fridge for as long as they are in the store, which is typically from around mid-October to mid-January. They’re also good cut into cubes and roasted in the oven with a drizzle of olive oil and some salt and pepper. If you can’t get a Cape Cod turnip, a rutabaga is a great substitute.

The puréed parsnip in Ruffage was served with grilled duck breast on top and garnished with cranberry relish. We served this with grilled lamb chops and Vivian Howard’s blueberry barbecue sauce* because that’s what we had already in the house and ready to go, and it was a winner!

Cape Cod Turnip Purée

Olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced thin
Salt
8-12 ounces Johnny Mash or other hard cider
1 Cape Cod turnip or rutabaga, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes
1 cup heavy cream (for a vegan version, try vegetable broth)
¼ teaspoon French four spice (or a pinch each of pepper and nutmeg)
Pinch of rubbed (dried) sage

Coat the bottom of a skillet that has a lid with olive oil and heat over medium high heat. Add the onions and sprinkle with salt. Sauté until deep golden brown, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as needed to prevent burning. Deglaze the pan with 8 ounces (1 cup) of hard cider and stir to scrap up browned bits.

Allow the cider to reduce slightly and then add the turnip and the cream. Add the French four spice and the sage and stir to combine. Cover and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes until the turnip is soft. Be sure to check frequently and add the remaining hard cider, up to 4 ounces (½ cup) as needed, if any of the vegetables begin to stick to the bottom.

Transfer the vegetables and the liquid in the pan to the food processor and process until the desired consistency is reached. Serve warm.

*Vivian Howard’s recipe originally is for chicken; we’ve also enjoyed it on duck, pork, salmon, and, as here, lamb!

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