life throws us challenges.  some bigger than others, no doubt.  in this instance the ny jew is presented with a huge and perfect bunch of turnip greens.

now i’ve never met a vegetable i didn’t like.  sometimes love might be too strong of a word (green bell peppers, i’m looking at you), but still i’m a big fan of all things produce.  i’ve got to say that this season my relationship with food brought forth from tennessee soil was definitely tested.  it was like living with someone your whole life and they go off to work each day and you happily enjoy evenings, weekends and the occasional vacation together and then suddenly they retire – and they’re always around.  such was the case for me and the vegetables.  the wonderful, beautiful weekly bounty from the delvin csa share put my passion to the test.  every day.  being that the last pick-up is only 3 weeks away, i am sure i will look back fondly on the experience come february.  but lately i find myself looking at zucchini going ‘oh shit’.

with challenges you are forced to stretch and grow.  not only was i in possession of these truly gorgeous turnip greens, but just last week i had received another big leafy bunch that had little baby turnips still attached.  the greens themselves didn’t look as impressive as the cute little pink pointy orbs suspended from the bottom, so puzzled as to what i might ever do with them they promptly got tossed in the fridge with no idea what their fate might bring.

with dinner time approaching and no preconceived notions, i got to thinking.  which brought me to cookthink.  which brought me in no time flat to the perfect idea.  with a big smile i made a beeline for the kitchen and i was fixin’ to make a fine meal.

i began with unarguably one of the world’s most amazing taste sensations.  out of the freezer came a package of niman ranch uncured applewood smoked bacon.  and now i take a moment to ask you this.  how could my people be the ‘chosen people’ if we’re not supposed to eat bacon?  would a fair and loving god do this to his children?  i think not.  i believe it all must be a misunderstanding from way back.  so i tore open the package and put it on my grill plate and let the meat soften and the slices separate.  then i fried the bacon until crisp and set it aside, my only guilt being one having to do with fat as opposed to hell – although in my life there is most certainly an overlap between the two.

into a big pan went some olive oil and then i added a large diced onion.  i let that caramelize for about 15 minutes and then added the diced baby turnips, discarding their wilted leaves.  next the huge quantity of my new turnip greens were roughly chopped and added to the pan in batches along with some chicken broth and some salt.  while that simmered i chopped up 3 ‘joe’s long hots’ – my favorite chili’s from delvin and added those to the pan.  for the final touches i used a healthy dose of a wonderful spanish red wine vinegar that i’d gotten from zingerman’s and some greek honey.  the bacon then got chopped and mixed back in.

while all this was going on i had taken 3 acorn squash, halved them and with some olive oil, salt, pepper and a drizzle of agave syrup they hit the oven for about 20 minutes until softened. 

i was really happy with our dinner.  i felt as though i’d done something nativelike to nashville and had met with success.  plus i knocked out 3 acorn squash, the huge bunch of greens, the baby turnips, 3 chili’s – and found the perfect dish for my new vinegar.

as well as my foray into southern cuisine may have turned out, by dessert we were back on “the Continent” with turron from spain and an espresso. 

what a world…