Winters Farmers Market Saturday 10-2

Easton’s own Langwater Farms will have its usual selection of seasonal organic produce. At the Farmers Market this week up at Oakes Ames Hall. Last week you may have missed their Macomber turnips, a vegetable that was actually “invented” here in Massachusetts. According to legend Aiden and Elihu Macomber of Westport returned from the Centennial Exposition of 1876 with a handful of magic turnip seeds that they planted next to Swedish and Russian rutabagas (already a cross of cabbages and turnips) and local radishes. Since all these plants are related, several summers later, the Macomber turnip was born. If you have never liked regular turnips, these green and white beauties are definitely worth a try. They inherited the white flesh and crispness of the radish, but an unusual sweetness an a tart aroma from all the other ancestors. The Macomber turnip is delicious boiled or roasted here is just one of recipes:

Roasted Turnip Base

1 tbs. butter
1 large Macomber turnip
1 tsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1 gala apple

Preheat the over to 375°. Peel turnip and cut into ¾ inch cubes. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic, and cook for 2 minutes, just to soften. Toss the butter with the turnips. Season with salt and pepper. Spread them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and roast them in the oven for 20 minutes. While the turnip is roasting, core the apple and cut into a ½ inch dice. Do not peel it. At the end of the 20 minutes, add the apple to the roasting turnips. Toss together to make sure the apples get a little butter covering and roast for 5 minutes more. Serve as a side dish with beef, ham, or salmon.