Ham & Turnip Stew (turnips & greens) over Polenta - Rooting for Root Veggies!

Turnips. Love them or leave them! We pulled some over the weekend and Barry wanted me to cook the greens as well. This is what I came up with . . . and yes we loved them! (Potatoes help mellow the flavor of the turnip.)
Perhaps turnips have a special place in my palate as my dad planted them in his alfalfa fields. I'd pull them for both my mom and to sell to family and friends of my parents. My first job in retail sales!

Turnip Stew (turnips & greens) over Polenta
1 onion, diced
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ham hock
5 to 6 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
4 cups+ pork stock or chicken broth
3 to 4 large handfuls of turnips greens, soaked and then washed thoroughly; tear greens from stem and cut or tear into bite size pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 large turnip, washed and diced
1 russet potato, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon paprika
Prepared Polenta

1. Sauté onions in olive oil until tender.
2. Add ham hock, thyme and bay leaf.
   
3. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cover; cook for 1 hour or until ham hock is tender and falling off the bone.
   
4. Remove bone and let cool; then remove meat from the bone.
5. Bring liquid to boil (could add more if needed); add turnip greens and season with salt and pepper to taste + add vinegar. Re-add ham pieces to pot.
   
6. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes until green are tender.
7. About half way through cooking, add diced turnips.
   
8. About 15 minutes before greens are tender, add diced potatoes and paprika. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste.
9. Serve over prepared polenta.
   

Try our Potato-Turnip Mash, too!

Recipe without photos . . .

Turnip Stew (turnips & greens) over Polenta

1 onion, diced
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ham hock
5 to 6 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
4 cups+ pork stock or chicken broth
3 to 4 large handfuls of turnips greens, soaked and then washed thoroughly; tear greens from stem and cut or tear into bite size pieces
Salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1 large turnip, washed and diced
1 russet potato, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon paprika
Prepared Polenta

1. Sauté onions in olive oil until tender.
2. Add ham hock, thyme and bay leaf.
3. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and cover; cook for 1 hour or until ham hock is tender and falling off the bone.
4. Remove bone and let cool; then remove meat from the bone.
5. Bring liquid to boil (could add more if needed); add turnip greens and season with salt and pepper to taste + add vinegar. Re-add ham pieces to pot.
6. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes until green are tender.
7. About half way through cooking, add diced turnips.
8. About 15 minutes before greens are tender, add diced potatoes and paprika. Taste and adjust seasonings to taste.
9. Serve over prepared polenta.

Sausage, Kale and Potato Soup -- inspired by Olive Garden

Inspired by one of the soup offerings at the Olive Garden, Barry came up with his own version . . . using kale from our fall garden.

Sausage, Kale and Potato Soup

4 potatoes, roughly peeled

 6 to 8 cups of pork stock (made by mixing about 1 Tbsp. pork concentrate with 6 to 8 cups water)

About 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ medium onions, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb. ground sausage

½ cup all-purpose flour, depending on preferred thickness of soup

1 teaspoon chopped oregano (or about ½ tsp. dried)

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leave (or about ½ tsp. dried)

½ to 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

2 handfuls cleaned and chopped kale 

1. Dice potatoes.
   
2. Add to ham stock and cook just until potatoes are almost tender.

   

   Above: The pork base Barry uses to make the stock.
   Below: Potatoes cooking in pork stock.

   
3. Meanwhile, sauté diced onions in the olive oil; add garlic near the end.

   

   Diced onions ready to sauté.

4. Add sausage to onions and garlic. Cook until meat loses pink color; stir to break up meat as it cooks.
   
5. Stir in flour and cook for a few minutes to get rid of flour taste.
   
6. Add seasoning + salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add kale.
   
8. Slowly add ham broth and then potatoes; cook to meld flavors. Check for seasonings and adjust as needed. Add more broth if a thinner soup is preferred.
   
   
   

Recipe without photos . . .

Sausage, Kale and Potato Soup

4 potatoes, roughly peeled 

 6 to 8 cups of pork stock (made by mixing about 1 Tbsp. pork concentrate with 6 to 8 cups water)

About 2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ medium onions, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb. ground sausage

½ cup all-purpose flour, depending on preferred thickness of soup 

1 teaspoon chopped oregano (or about ½ tsp. dried)

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leave (or about ½ tsp. dried)

½ to 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

2 handfuls cleaned and chopped kale  

1. Dice potatoes.
2. Add to ham stock and cook just until potatoes are almost tender.
3. Meanwhile, sauté diced onions in the olive oil; add garlic near the end.
4. Add sausage to onions and garlic. Cook until meat loses pink color; stir to break up meat as it cooks.
5. Stir in flour and cook for a few minutes to get rid of flour taste.
6. Add seasoning + salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add kale.
8. Slowly add ham broth and then potatoes; cook to meld flavors. Check for seasonings and adjust as needed. Add more broth if a thinner soup is preferred.

Ham & Okra Soup w/ end-of-summer garden veggies

It's the end of summer so this is soup contains a little of this and that! From the garden: okra, onions, green peppers, carrots, potatoes, even a small yellow squash. Other ingredients I had on hand included ham, olive oil, celery, brown basmati rice, seasonings and homemade pork stock. The whole idea is to utilize what is available to create a favorable soup that appeals to your family. 

Ham & Okra Soup w/ end-of-summer garden veggies

About 2 tablespoons olive oil
About 1 cup (more or less) of cubed ham
1 small to medium onion, finely chopped
2 medium green peppers, finely chopped
1 stack celery, finely chopped
1 carrot, diced
1/2 cup brown basmati rice (any variety of rice should work)
1 yellow squash, finely chopped
1 potato, cubed
About 3 cups+ pork stock (chicken stock could be used)
5 to 6  tomatoes, skin & seeds removed, diced (or use a 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes)
1 cup+ sliced okra
1/2 to 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or use regular paprika)
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
A sprinkling of dried red pepper flakes
Kosher salt and coarse black pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ham and allow to lightly brown.
   
2. Add onions, green pepper, celery and carrots and sauté until partially tender.
   
3. Stir in rice.
   
4. Add squash, potatoes and stock.
   
5. Add tomatoes, okra and seasonings.
   
6. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, cover and simmer until veggies and rice are tender and flavors meld (at least 30 minutes. And, then enjoy . . .
   
   
   
   Recipe without photos . . .
   Ham & Okra Soup w/ end-of-summer garden veggies
   About 2 tablespoons olive oil
   About 1 cup (more or less) of cubed ham
   1 small to medium onion, finely chopped
   2 medium green peppers, finely chopped
   1 stack celery, finely chopped
   1 carrot, diced
   1/2 cup brown basmati rice (any variety of rice should work)
   1 yellow squash, finely chopped
   1 potato, cubed
   About 3 cups+ pork stock (chicken broth could be used)
   5 to 6  tomatoes, skin & seeds removed, diced (or use a 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes)
   1 cup+ sliced okra
   1/2 to 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (or use regular paprika)
   1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
   A sprinkling of dried red pepper flakes
   Kosher salt and coarse black pepper to taste
   
   
   1. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ham and allow to lightly brown.
   2. Add onions, green pepper, celery and carrots and sauté until partially tender.
   3. Stir in rice.
   4. Add squash, potatoes and stock.
   5. Add tomatoes, okra and seasonings.
   6. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, cover and simmer until veggies and rice are tender and flavors meld (at least 30 minutes.