PRETTY IN PINK: Turnips To Die For

Maybe it's the Cyndi Lauper phase I've been in recently, or maybe it's because hot pink is secretly my favorite color (even though I usually tell people it's yellow). Whatever the reason, I needed to buy hot pink turnips at the farmers' market last week as soon as I saw them. Hot Pink! Turnips? Irresistible!

That sly Mother Earth - luring us to eat our veggies, creating such beauties in amazingly illuminated, near-fluorescent tones. Turning an ordinary day into a day that has me counting down the minutes until I get to eat turnips, she really put a turnip spell on me this time.

Once at home, I did some quick reading to familiarize myself with my new ingredient. I liked learning about how they can be grated raw into salads - an especially good use, I thought, for such magnificent-looking ones as these. It would be a shame to lose any ounce of pinkified pigment to the cooking process. One salad I glanced at called for some grated turnip and grated granny smith apple, yum!

However, since there were no grannies in the house, I decided to go the mashed route. Another turnip fave. I cut up a few turnips, leaving their bright skin unpeeled and untouched. I also quickly chopped half of a peeled celery root that I had in the fridge. I boiled all the veggies until I could pierce them easily with a fork. Then I just drained, added a pat of butter, some salt and pepper, mashed, and they were done. I must say, they were the flirtiest mashed veggie dish that I have ever eaten - blushing a rosy hue. A perfect belated Valentine's side dish.

Flax oil or yogurt would have been a nice substitution for the butter, I thought. And some fresh herbs could have livened it up a smidge. The wheels in my mind turned thinking of all the ways I can accessorize my turnips in the future, whether they be hot pink or not, mashed or unmashed. One thing was clear, a great appreciation of turnips had emerged without a doubt.

The hot pink turnip certainly is a real looker - and mighty fine in the taste department too. Not bad, not bad at all.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH FRIES: Orange & In-Charge

Why do sweet potatoes get to have all the fun? There's room in this town for another orange fry. That's right. Introducing an old friend in a new role: Miss Butternut Squash. Tasty, charming, and unexpected, this seasonal wonder in fry form is sure to add a little umph to the dinner table. Stylish and fun, it won't disappoint.

The butternut squash fry is a pretty simple one to prepare. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Grab your veggie peeler and peel the skin from your squash. The peeler makes this task a cinch! Once your squash is in the nude, chop off its very top and bottom bits. Cut it in half lengthwise, and with a soup spoon, use a little force to quickly scoop out the seeds.

Taking each squash half, sever the round portion from the tall neck. Slice each squash quarter into thin, fry-like pieces. Place the butternut squash fries on a baking sheet and coat with olive oil. Don't be shy with the olive oil - a nice, healthy pour will add a delicious element of fry glam. Now give some good shakes of salt and black pepper. Throw 'em in the oven, and bake for fifteen minutes. Take them out and flip them around with your spatula. Put them back in for another fifteen, and that's it!

Your beautiful fries will be nicely browned, a little caramelized, and impossible not to eat right away. Add another sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a squeeze of fresh lemon or lime if you so desire. These fries give sweet potatoes a run for their money!

WATERMELON RADISHES WITH ORANGE, LEMON, & DILL: Mouth-Watering, Eye-Popping Salad

I swear, just looking at watermelon radishes makes me want to devour them the way I would an actual watermelon. They are so beautiful and vibrant.

The orange and dill in this salad meld well with the spicy radishes, making it a real treat.

Ingredients:

• watermelon radishes (or any other type of radishes)
• orange(s), 1 orange per 5 medium radishes
• lemon, 1/2 lemon per 5 radishes
• fresh dill, about 3 sprigs per 5 radishes
• s & p

What to Do:
Wash the radishes. It is not necessary to peel them. Cut the tops and bottoms off of the radishes. Slice them in half, and then julianne into thin strips. Place in a bowl that will allow enough room for stirring. Squeeze in fresh orange juice, enough to cover the radishes. Squeeze in some fresh lemon juice. Chop the dill, and add that into the bowl. Add a few shakes of salt and pepper. Stir, and that's it! Either eat right away, or for best results, allow to sit in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight. If marinating the radishes in the fridge, give them a stir occasionally, so that all of the radish pieces are evenly distributed in the juice.

This salad is such a great snack. It's so healthy and light, yet it is really satisfying. A fresh, sweet, crisp plate of radishes is the perfect fix on a hot, hot day!

ROASTED VEGGIES: Tried and True

Roasted veggies save the day for me time and time again! They are delicious and easy to make. There are many reasons why I prepare them regularly.

• They satisfy my craving when I want something decadent-tasting, but nutritious at the same time.
• When I cook for others or myself, they're a great side to serve. They compliment so many different dishes.
• Roasted veggies are reliably great when I need to bring something special, yet low-fuss to a gathering.
• When I have produce that's on its last legs, roasting saves me from wasting money in thrown-away food, and it gives new life to not-so-fresh veggies.
• They are a great thing to cook when I need to make dinner, but also have chores to tend to around the house. Once they're prepped, they virtually cook themselves.
• Roasted veggies are one of my favorite things to make in large quantities, and then have in the fridge to eat as leftovers throughout the week.

My method for making roasted veggies is very simple. Basically what I do is look in the fridge and see what veggies I have that need to be used. After I wash my veggies, I slice them into pieces. Sometimes I like to slice them long and thin, and other times I prefer hearty pieces. Meanwhile, I preheat my oven to a pretty hot temperature, usually 450 degrees. As I'm slicing the veggies, I throw them right onto my baking sheet. A casserole dish can also be used, but I find that they tend to be less crispy when cooked in a dish. After all of the veggies are sliced, I give them a good coating of olive oil, some healthy shakes of salt and pepper, and pop them into the hot oven. I check on them every ten minutes or so, tossing them with my spatula, so all the sides can get toasted. I like to cook mine until they are a little blackened, just a little. I find that they taste really flavorful when they are at this point. Take them out when they are tender and browned to your liking.

Something to be aware of when you are preparing your roasted veggies is the different cooking times of various vegetables. There are a few solutions. Personally, my preference is to cook each vegetable separately, adding in trays of the quicker-cooking vegetables later in the game. For me, this is the lowest-hassle way of cooking them. Another idea is to add your quicker-cooking veggies to the same baking dish at various points throughout the cooking time. So for instance, if you were making roasted potatoes, broccoli, and mushrooms, you would put your chopped potatoes in the oven, and depending on their size and cooking time, add in the cut broccoli after about 20 minutes or so, and then after about 10 more minutes, add your mushrooms, either whole or in large pieces. One more way to address the cooking time issue is to cut your veggies into different sizes that will allow an assortment to cook at the same time. So, if you were to cook carrots, parsnips, onions, and mushrooms, your carrots and parsnips should be cut small, the onions cut medium-sized, and the green onions left whole.

Roasted veggies are a great addition to pastas, salads, soups, rice pilafs, sandwiches, pizzas, and eggs, or they're a great snack on their own. They quickly turn ordinary food into gourmet dishes. Hooray for roasted vegetables!

CARROT SALAD: Refreshing Snack

Sometimes I'm not sure what I feel like eating, and on those days a fresh carrot salad truly hits the spot. The carrots mix well with many different seasonings, so it is easy to match this salad to any mood. I always have carrots on hand since they keep in the fridge for weeks and weeks. They are my go-to food when I am low on other things.

To make your own carrot salad:

First, just grate some carrots. Coat the carrots with a little olive oil, flax oil, or plain yogurt. Squeeze in some lemon, lime, or orange juice. If you have fresh herbs, chop them up and add them in too. If you like, add in raisins, minced garlic, and/or some finely chopped vegetables, such as leeks or small bits of broccoli. Don't forget a little salt and pepper. Toss it all together, and there you have it!

Experiment and see what you come up with! Taste along the way. Make your carrot salad in quantity so you have leftovers to put in lunches for a few days. Carrot salad not only makes for a simple snack or side, it's also an easy to prepare and much appreciated party dish. Your friends will gobble it up!