No-Waste Bacony Turnip Greens And Mash Recipe

Recipe developer Rachel Steiner enjoys shopping in farmer's markets and then putting the produce to full use. "I strive to embrace the no-waste mentality for all the ingredients I use," she says about her sustainable cooking philosophy. In this particular recipe, she's showing you what to make with your turnips that still have the greens attached. Besides being waste-free, this dish "balances bacon-y acidic braised greens with buttery mashed turnips," Steiner says, and it has the added benefit of being easy to put together.

While Steiner admits that "Japanese turnips aren't traditionally used in a braised turnip greens recipe," she prefers to use them here because she finds their greens to be more tender than the ones attached to standard purple turnips. If purple top white globe turnips are all you can find, though, she says you can certainly use those as long as you cook the greens for a longer time.

In addition to the turnips (roots, greens, and all), you'll of course need some bacon to deliver on the "bacon-y" component referenced in the name of the recipe. The rest of the flavor comes from an onion, some vegetable stock, apple cider vinegar, salt, butter, and milk.

First step: Cut the bacon slices into pieces, then fry them up in a pan. After about 10 to 12 minutes, they should be sufficiently crispy and crumbly, as this low and slow method is the best way to render bacon fat. Remove the bacon from the pan and let it drain on a paper towel-lined surface, but don't get rid of the fat in the frying pan — this no-waste recipe means we'll use it in the next step.

You guessed it: you'll use the bacon fat to fry the onions and, later, the greens. While the onions cook in the pan, chop up the turnip greens into bite-size pieces. Once the onions have softened up a bit, which should take 3 to 5 minutes, toss in the greens, stir in the stock, and let everything come to a boil. At this point, you'll plop on a lid, turn down the heat, and simmer the greens for about 45 minutes to an hour until they are very soft and beginning to fall apart. (If you're using purple turnips instead of the Japanese kind, Steiner advises cooking the greens for an additional 30 minutes.)

While the turnip greens are simmering away, you can start cooking the roots. Chop them into cubes and boil them in salted water for 10 to 15 minutes until you can easily stick a fork in them; they may need more or less time depending on their size. Once the roots are done, turn off the heat, drain out the water, and put the roots back into the pot with butter and milk. Mash the roots up until they have a similar texture to that of lumpy mashed potatoes, then season them with salt to taste.

And now, back to the turnip greens. Once they're done braising, turn off the heat and stir in the cooked bacon bits, vinegar, and as much salt as you like. Use the cooked greens as a soft, unctuous, flavorful topping for the mild and creamy mashed turnips.