This week we have Gilfeather turnips in your share. Gilfeather turnips are a rutabaga-turnip hybrid that are harvested after the first hard frost of the season. Waiting for a freeze gives these knobby roots a sweet, creamy flavor. Gilfeather turnips were first cultivated by John Gilfeather in the early 1900s at a farm in Wardsboro, VT. Gilfeather was a secretive man. He wouldn’t say how he originally grew this unique turnip and went to great lengths to make sure he was the only one who could grow them. He carefully shaved the individual root hairs and cut the tops off each turnip before bringing them to market so no one else could cultivate them.
In the 1970s, a few decades after Gilfeather’s passing, William and Mary Lou Schmidt got ahold of some seeds and they commercialized these turnips. In 2016, the Gilfeather Turnip became Vermont’s state vegetable.
They are great roasted, mashed or pureed into soups. Here are 3 ideas from Cedar Circle Farm in Vermont:
- Latkes! Grate and mix with eggs, scallions, flour, salt and pepper then fry ⅛ cup of batter on a skillet.
- Cheesy mash! Cube, boil, and mash a medium turnip, then fold in ½-¾ c. of Vermont cheddar.
- Gilfeather Soup! Sauté onion and garlic in butter. Add stock and turnips, cook until tender, and drain. Puree, then add half and half, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Garnish with sautéed greens.
