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Community Corner

The Seasonal Chef: Rooting for Late Winter Rutabaga

Abigail Café & Wine Bar Chef Abigail Hitchcock shares her family recipe for braised rutabaga with bacon.

For Abigail Hitchcock, the chef-owner of on Classon Avenue, an ideal day off is “going to the Greenmarket, perusing what’s there and getting inspired by what’s in season.”

Hitchcock is a seasoned restaurant chef who stays in touch with home cooks through her cooking classes and wine tastings;* She was a natural choice to tap for a seasonal recipe to kick off this bi-monthly column on what’s in season at the Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket, and how neighborhood chefs and cooks are using seasonal ingredients.

Standing in the sun-filled dining room at Abigail Café as the first brunch popovers were served last Saturday, Hitchcock’s eyes light up at the mention of seasonal ingredients.

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Her commitment to eating seasonal, local food is apparent on her menus, and even more so in the enthusiasm she has for the hardy late winter offerings at the Greenmarket right now.

“Rutabaga!” she enthuses, “I just love them! They contain a lot of starch that turns to sugar after the weather gets cold in late fall, they have a slightly bitter note that balances out their sweetness, they keep a long time stored in a cool, dry place out of the fridge, and they mash beautifully.”

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Rutabaga are your basic cellar root. A turnip relative (though they’re larger, sweeter and less watery) known as swede in Britain, they can be prepared in numerous ways. Hitchcock’s favorite approach is to mash them with garlic and butter, or to braise them with bacon (see recipe below).

The Greenmarket rutabaga, unlike many you’ll find in supermarkets, are unwaxed, and tend to be fresher, sweeter and moister. Philips Farm had plenty of rutabaga last Saturday, and should continue to have them for weeks to come. Staring down flats of flowering bulbs in the sunshine last Saturday, the big, purple-ended orbs were a reminder that while spring asparagus and peas won’t be here for over a month, there’s plenty of beautiful produce to get excited about every week at Grand Army Plaza.

 

Braised Rutabaga with Bacon

 Recipe by Abigail Hitchcock

This is a family recipe that Hitchcock remembers her father making for Thanksgiving. She notes that a vegetarian version, with vegetable oil in place of bacon and water in place of stock, is also delicious.

Serves 8

2 ounces good-quality smoky bacon (or pancetta), roughly chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves only
2 rutabaga, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Chicken stock, as needed (about 1 cup)
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Sauté the bacon until crisp, then use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a paper-towel lined plate. Add the onion and thyme to the pan and sauté in the fat from the bacon until the onions are lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the diced rutabaga, season with salt and pepper and pour in enough stock to come ½ inch up the side of the pan. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer gently until the rutabaga are tender, about 20 minutes. If there’s a lot of stock left, pour it off and freeze it for broth for soup. Stir in the reserved bacon. Taste and adjust the seasoning, sprinkle the rutabaga with chopped parsley and serve.

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