4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Cinnamon]

My turnips are ready to be picked as baby sized for a casserole this weekend, & I have heard that you can also cook the tops

 

The recipe I have is to saute them with onions,add some cream & parmesan & use as a pasta sauce, which sounds goo,but I wondered if anyone had actually tried them & if they are worth it

[Valkyrie]

Very nice, a bit like spinach but not as strong. Had them first in the US, was hooked and this is the first year I have managed to grow a fair amount and I intend to munch my way through them. Pity the rest of the family aren't keen (but then DS is a carnivore so getting any sort of veg down him is a challenge) and the rest are just fussy. All the more for me.

[Cinnamon]

Great,thats just what I wanted to hear

 

Any tips on how to serve them?

[Valkyrie]

Well I saute mine in butter, but I think they can be boiled a bit (don't know how long, but they are the cabbage family). In the US I think they were steamed, but I like the sound of your recipe though. I wonder if you can do the same with the swede tops - they look fab at the moment, whereas the flea beetles have started to munch my turnip leaves.

[Cinnamon]

The hens got my swede thinnings the other day & said they were lovely

 

Interesting all this, I do like a veg that is multi purpose,don't you?

[Valkyrie]

At the risk of sounding like a bulldog - oh yes! Now if only the leaves and flowers on tomatoes could do that. Did you see HFW eating the pea tops? All these years I've been pinching them out and putting the bits in the compost and I find that I could have snacked on them instead!

[Cinnamon]

I know - I bought a bag of them from Waitrose last year & they were scrummy.

 

I am pinching mine off today to have with a salad tonight

[chickencam]

We were nibbling our pea shoots at the allotment last night, they are really lovely, they taste just like fresh raw peas

[Milly]

Can you eat beetroot leaves too? Mine look so nice and fresh it seems a shame to waste them. I know you can have the little ones in salads, so I don't see why you couldn't use the bigger ones like spinach.

 

Milly

[Guest]

our turnip leaves are riddled with holes, the turnips are ok, it's just the leaves. I assumed it was slugs.

[Valkyrie]

That would be that pesky flea beetle, Poet. They like the dry weather, but if the ground is kept damp it seems to deter them - of course the slugs and snails will be more than happy then - catch 22!

[Guest]

the spinach is right next to the turnips and the spinach is fine, I thought it was odd that the slugs had attacked the turnips and left the spinach alone!

 

so, this flea beetle thing, is it likely to eat anything else?

[Guest]

poo, just found this http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles0402/flea_beetle.asp

 

the cabbage and kale is in the same bed!

[Guest]

thought this might interest....

 

Solution Organic

 

Seedlings are especially vulnerable to attack, so protect them by waiting until they're a good size before planting out. Exploit the beetles' habit of jumping and catch them with a sticky trap. Coat a piece of card with grease, such as insect barrier glue, leaving a clean strip along one edge. Brush the clean edge of the card over the top of your plants - when the beetles hop into the air they'll stick to the grease. Repeat as necessary.

[Cinnamon]

I cooked the turnip tops last night - finely chopped & fried in a little butter with some onion & garlic.

I then added a splash of white wine,some parmesan & a little cream..............& it was just delicious

 

In fact the tops cooked like this were more successful than the roots in the casserole!

[Valkyrie]

I'm glad you liked them - sounds delish! Pity about the actual nips though - especially as this year I have loads. Oh well at least the whole plant won't be wasted. I wonder if they would be OK grated and in a salad?