RE: Pressure Cooker Root Vegetable Soup {Market Gems}
I can understand the aversion. I actually don't really love regular turnips, but the particular cultivar that one of my farmers grows is much more mild and sweet than the regular kind. I have grown quite fond of them.
It is pretty interesting how the methods of cooking seem to go in and out of favor. When I was telling DKS's mom about the Wonderbag she said they used to cook like that by wrapping pots in straw and then a big blanket. The pressure cooker does still scare me a bit in how easily you can handle it wrong and make a big explosion, but I've gotten a lot more comfortable with it as I use it more. I think I would be hesitant to have it going around kids, though, just in case some wandering hands tried to open it.
Ahh yes, everything in its season. It does make you appreciate the beauty and flavour ;) of fresh produce that much more!
I remember you mentioning them: I must see if we can find something similar and it might help to change my mind. My memory is of a grey, watery slop. Served, as is traditional for the Scots, with mince and mashed potatoes. All slop.
On the cooking methods - fascinating, hey? I recently bought a second hand cast iron pot, specifically to use for making stews on the braai and bread. "Pot brood" (bread) is made in the pot, lid on and buried in the coals of an open fire. I have memories of that from my childhood and a stay the seaside when it was turned out of the pot. Cut warm: huge, long slices, dripping in farm butter. I'm salivating at the thought. So wrapping pots in straws and then blankets: make perfect sense. I've been thinking that if loadshedding persists, I'll be investing in a Wonderbag. My challenge: space. Anyhow, let me not make my problems your problems.
Yes, a pressure cooker can be daunting and it is dangerous. Happily I've had no really major issues. I've just ended up with a lot of water being spat all over as I was anxious to get it cool and the lid off. Can't remember why, but I do remember that. I used to cook fish and rice to feed five cats at one stage: cooked the fish so that the bones were soft. It was a weekly thing. Urgh! Now I think about it!
Musings for a post...
Happy day.
Just to help you on your search these are called Hakurei or Tokyo turnips. I haven't tried them raw yet, but I have a bunch needing to be used from this week that I might just try as nature made them.
I actually have the opposite problem--too much space! A blessing in some ways, but then a curse in that we tend to collect too much junk. I'm constantly in the fight to get things out of the house and keep them out, haha. But at least I have plenty of room for my kitchen gadgets. Not sure what would go first if we ever downsize...