Scalloped Turnips

Starches are passe in the world of today's health-conscious diet. Most people eschew bread and the humble potato in favor of green veggies, fruits, and lean dairy. And this is as it should be. A girl can eat all the carrots she wants, and generally not gain a pound if she doesn't dip them in anything.

But sometimes, I long for the days before we knew what a calorie was. Back when classic French technique was the only way to go, and butter, cream, and pasta (starch! lovely starch!) were key ingredients in every self-respecting cook's repertoire. Before milk came in lowfat versions, and before margerine and "spreads" made their molecularly altered way into our refrigerators. This is a recipe for those days. It's pretty simple: boil some starches, make a roux, combine, add cheese. Presto! Scalloped potatoes, or turnips, or even pasta, if that's the starch that floats your boat.

I made it today with turnips, because I had one sad, neglected turnip sitting in my crisper waiting to be turned into something good. Turnips aren't what everyone thinks of when they make gratins or scallops, but I like it, because it's just enough of something different to add pizazz to a dish. If you've grown up with a child's aversion to turnips (because someone overboiled them, or didn't season them, or served them plain without any dressing, etc), give this one a try. It's like scalloped potatoes without the boring.

Scalloped Turnips

1 large turnip, or 2 medium ones, peeled
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (or more, if you like cheese as much as I do)
Optional: 3 slices bacon

Start by slicing the turnips very thinly. Fill a pot with salted water and boil the turnip slices for 15 or 20 minutes, until they're soft. Taste a turnip at this point, I think they're good just like this. But we'll be adding stuff to them. Pour the potatoes into a gratin dish (or a small baking dish).

Preheat the oven to 250F. In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour one tbsp at a time, and whisk into a roux. Add the milk, turn the heat up to medium, and stir until the mixture has thickened into a simple white sauce. On my stove, this takes between 5 and 10 minutes. Taste the sauce, and add salt until it's properly seasoned. Keep a spare hand with the salt, it's easy to go overboard and end up with a salty sauce (ew!).

Pour the finished white sauce over the turnips. Sprinkle the cheese on top, and bake for 10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and the sauce has distributed itself throughout the dish.

If you're feeling extra industrious (or if you've just got a hankering for bacon), pan fry up some bacon while the dish is in the oven, then crumble it into bits and sprinkle those liberally on top. Yum!

Servings: 2 as a main dish or 4 as a side