NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665
December 16, 1999
It doesn't take a mathematician to figure out that certain foods have zero appeal to some people. Take rutabagas for example. Many people I know wouldn't take even one bite of this root vegetable--not even if it were served on a silver platter that they could keep. Many of those same people feel likewise about parsnips.
I happen to enjoy rutabagas and parsnips, but I don't like eating these vegetables alone, so my challenge, as I saw it, was to get my wife Nicki to develop a taste for rutabagas and parsnips. Mission accomplished.
The trick to getting finicky eaters to sample something new and actually like it relies on preparation and presentation--that is, making new or undesirable ingredients taste good and appear appetizing by including other familiar, flavorful ingredients. For finicky kids, an example would be sneaking bits of broccoli into their favorite macaroni and cheese.
To tempt adults, cooks need to be craftier. The adapted recipe that follows contains many of the ingredients I used to lure Nicki. The original version appeared in the November 1994 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. Serve Vegetable-Bacon Casserole during the holidays and start the tradition of a new family favorite.
Vegetable-Bacon Casserole
Yield: 10 servingsIngredients:
7 cups canned fat-free chicken broth
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1½-inch cubes
1½ pounds rutabagas, peeled, cut into ½-inch cubes
1¼ pounds parsnips, peeled, cut into 1½-inch cubes
8 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
¼ cup butter
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
salt and white pepper to taste
¾ cup crumbled bacon, crisply cooked
3 large onions, coarsely choppedProcedure:
Place broth in a 4- or 5-quart Dutch oven and bring it to a boil before adding the potatoes, rutabagas, parsnips, garlic, bay leaf and thyme. Carefully add the vegetables so the pot doesn't overflow. Bring broth back to a boil and then reduce heat so vegetables simmer until very tender, about 30 minutes. Drain well, reserving ½ cup of broth for the recipe (save and refrigerate the rest for another use, if desired). Discard the bay leaf. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl, add the ½ cup of reserved broth and the Worcestershire sauce and mash. Season with salt and pepper, stir in bacon and transfer mixture to a buttered 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Meanwhile, melt the butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and saute about five minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and saute until onions are tender and golden brown, about 15 minutes. Season onions to taste with salt and pepper, and then spread onions evenly over the vegetable mixture. Bake casserole uncovered in a 375 F oven until heated through and top begins to crisp, about 25 minutes. Serve immediately.
What's Your Take on This, Julie?
As a child I was never finicky as far as most foods were concerned, but rutabagas came close to falling into the same category as sardines, liver and Limburger cheese. I have since reconciled with these relatives of the turnip family (but the other foods are still off-limits as far as my palate is concerned).
"Swede turnips," as rutabagas were called for years, originated in Scandinavia during the 17th century. Nutritionally low in calories at about 65 calories per cup, rutabagas do contain some of the vitamins C and A. Choose medium-sized rutabagas free of blemishes, because larger ones are often woody and tough. Try this week's recipe to whet your appetite for root vegetables. A serving of Vegetable-Bacon Casserole contains about 300 calories, 11.5 grams of fat and a full day's supply of vitamin C.
Whether rutabagas, turnips, Brussels sprouts or other plant matter, getting a child to eat vegetables can be a frustrating experience for parents, but it's worth the effort. Even small steps toward encouraging 5 A Day--that's three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit a day--may improve your child's health as well as the overall national nutrition picture. Nationwide, French fries and potato chips account for about one-quarter of children's vegetable intake, and only 1 percent of children meet all of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the basis of the USDA Food Guide Pyramid.
The rate of obesity among children has more than doubled in the last 20 years. Even so, strictly controlled diets aren't the answer. Researchers have shown that children with controlling parents tend to have higher levels of body fat, so it's more important for parents to provide nutritious choices. Allow children to choose what and how much they eat so that they will come to understand when they are hungry and full. If you are concerned about an overweight child, a registered dietitian can help develop a plan so the child can grow into his/her weight.
It's important for parents and caregivers to model healthful eating. If Dad refuses rutabagas, what do you suppose Junior might do? When introducing new foods, offer small portions of only one new food at the start of a meal when a child is most hungry. Remember that it often takes several exposures before children will accept a new food, so be patient. Also, children are more apt to try new foods they helped prepare, so welcome them in the kitchen with age-appropriate tasks.
I'm not sure what made me a rutabaga advocate, but I do remember helping harvest them in our garden and helping scrub them clean in the kitchen sink. Maybe that was the key.
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Sources: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136
Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187
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