This recipe is part of Ugly Vegetable Winter – weird winter vegetables that are delicious, locally grown, and often ignored.
Rutabaga, sometimes called Swede, is a cabbage-turnip hybrid. It has a gentle, Brussels-sprout like taste that’s very sweet. It’s quite starchy and becomes creamy when cooked, like a yellow potato. You can use it anywhere you would use a potato and it makes an excellent mashed or roasted potato substitute.
Method
ROAST THE CABBAGE
Preheat your oven to 425°F.
Peel the rutabaga and cut into 1–2” wedges. Try to keep all your pieces similar in size so they cook at an even rate.
In a large bowl (or on your baking sheet), add the chopped rutabaga, paprika, thyme, grated garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Toss everything until evenly coated.
Spread the rutabaga evenly on the baking sheet.
Bake for 30 minutes until the outside is deeply golden brown and a fork can be inserted into the rutabaga with no resistance.
SERVE
Top with a drizzle of good olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. Optionally add fresh herbs, such as chopped parsley.
To make into meal, serve on a bed of sizzled scallion labneh dip.