happy slow week’s end, friends. i have not much to report today as i’m into the sport of practicing breathing on the weekends (however dry the air may be). we’re still experiencing an outrageous warmth for this time of year – as some may recall we had an incredible blizzard this time two years ago (atlas, you crazy beast). so to encounter fifty degree weather for another ten days is enough for many townsfolk to wear shorts. the sun is bright, the winds are light and variable, autumn leaves collect at the feet, and there is a general buzz circulating – stemming sweetly from the temperatures. to my knowledge our colorado and north dakota neighbors are experiencing their beginning tastes of snow – and the second it happens here – we will all know. it’s a familiar blanket i recognize and quite possibly welcome (in moderation).
i may be a hopeless romantic, in which i find the beauty in every moment everywhere, but there is definitely a lovely element to the cold days too (once they arrive). something about being ‘stuck’ inside, and dually something about putting on your heavy boots and trekking across a shut down town or a green and white forest chasm. it’s true, we cannot liken these moments to pulling plump tomatoes from the vine – yet something fun and capricious is always at the heart of cold weather things.
but in the meanwhile of the current conditions it’s rather nice to daydream softly in the slowness of a weekend about future becomings. today i want to share a recipe for tacos (never a wrong time for them), with the inclusion of a favorite root – turnips. if you have time, do check out the different varieties that exist – they are all excellent and delicious (greens included). if you have even more time, i welcome you to watch/listen to this lecture (first menu item) presented by Frances E Dolan, an english professor at the University of California. she generates some interesting literary perspectives regarding the turnip as fodder or food. for the recipe, i’ve considered the turnip as much as ever – combining it with lemon, dill, and chili powder. nested atop mashed beans, mustard greens, jalapeno and almond – i can’t think of a better way to dream the day.
- 1 lb turnips, peeled and diced small
- 1 tsp olive oil
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of ½ lemon
- 1 tbl minced dill
- 1 / 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 cup orca or black beans, soaked overnight
- 4 cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 / 2 onion, chopped
- 1 / 2 tsp cumin
- juice of 1 lime
- mustard greens
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
- 1 / 4 cup crushed almond
- corn tortillas
- bring beans, water, bay leaf, onion, and cumin to boil on stove in a medium pot. once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for about an hour. monitor beans to assure they are covered by water - if they need more, add.
- meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees. in a medium whisk together the oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, dill, and chili powder. add turnips and toss to coat.
- on a large rimmed baking sheet lay turnips out and roast in oven 15-20 minutes, until browned.
- discard bay leaf from bean pot and mash beans with preferred utensil. add in the juice of 1 lime.
- to assemble tacos: add mashed beans, mustard greens, roasted turnips. combine jalapeno and almond and crumble atop.
- optionally serve with additional toppings of your taco preference.
I am also currently crushing on all-things-turnips. I seriously need to revisit mustard greens and collard greens, for that matter. I don’t know why they don’t make it into my kitchen that often. Right now, it’s filled with chard and spinach and kale, so maybe I’ll wait until I’ve exhausted those! These flavors go so well together in this recipe, Danielle. I look forward to making it. And enjoy the warm weather, while it’s there!
Jayme, thanks so much for checking me out – it’s a pleasure to be recently acquainted. I love the sounds of your kitchen right now – it’s very close to mine. Although, our spinach didn’t happen for some strange reason this year. But I do have a mad fondness for mustard greens, I’ve been making salads out of them to no end. Wishing you a great week. ♥
love this fall-edging-on-winter spin on tacos. i think you’re right — there’s never a wrong time for a taco. i’m sending my love out to the store for corn tortillas right now. i have daikons around and some various greens, so i’ll be making my own version of these gorgeous tacos very, very soon. thanks, danielle. xo
thank you for the visit jaime! i’m really glad that you’re just as excited over these tacos. when you mentioned daikons i had fifty exclamation marks dance around my head – what a fine idea! i hope that you had/have a great taco feast! happy weather to you. xo
we finally got around to making a spin on these tacos (we waited for a tortilla press to come in–this endeavor wasn’t taken lightly). we enjoyed it more than i can even communicate without resorting to all sorts of superlatives and repetitions. i used pinto beans in place of orca beans, daikon for turnip, beet greens for mustard, and topped the tacos with crumbled sunflower seed cheese and an extra squeeze of lemon. the daikons, when roasted up with acidic lemon juice, have a juicy, succulent sweetness that reminds me of tomatoes, so these tacos felt totally rooted in the season but totally evoked bits of summer, too. it was all so, so good. the jalapeno-almond situation is so clever–i’m keeping that idea like a treasured gift. the way the almonds play with the dill and lemon is just brilliant, and the combination opened some major taco doors in my mind that i won’t forget anytime soon. so yeah, thank you for blowing my mind with a taco. thank you for sharing what you share!
jaime, thank you so much for reporting back to me on your recent kitchen endeavors! stories like this mean so much to me and allow me to feel depth and perspective in our connection to food. it’s the moments where we are able to completely immerse ourselves in the process and enjoyment that make it all worth it and really show the passion.
i love that you used daikon (radish is such a great taco choice) – and i love that you roasted them – i must try this extremely soon. i’m totally elated that you were able to bliss out with tacos (and flattered that i helped). thank you so much for sharing your experience, it’s made my multiple days. ♥
Mmmmmm! This post makes me so happy
the flavour combinations are working SO well and I love how that lemon zest looks in the photos. I also love the “stuck inside” aspect of winter, it is just too darn cozy – even the bundling up part can be fun! Enjoy your warm weather and delicious foooooods <3
maya you are so sweet, thank you lovingly for your presence! the lemon works so brightly with the turnips – it just makes for such a delicious eat! – and i agree, the bundling up part of winter is extremely fun, inside or out! wishing you a happy week. ♥
Thanks so much for sharing the link to the turnip lecture, I have earmarked it for tomorrow and look forward to it, turnips + literature = big smile on my face!. I always thought turnips were awful, but turns out it was me that was awful as I doubt I had ever even tried them and now they are one of my favourite vegetables, they’re stunning and so good to eat. I’ll look out for different varieties too. I’ve never even heard of orca beans, they’re splendid!
What type of breathing do you practice, sounds like a wonderful thing to do, does it make you feel much better and more collected?
Yes Susannah! I like to make connections between literature and cooking, or vegetables when I can – the combination of my two favorite things. I’m so happy that when you gave turnips a try they became one of your favorites – they have a really earthy flavor that just works beautifully. – and for my breathing, i just take steps to meditate and be mindful – and doing this alone makes me all the more collected. if i designate a certain time then it works really well. xo
These look so wonderful Danielle! If a hopeless romantic is someone who finds beauty in every moment everywhere than I hope everyone in the world becomes a hopeless romantic. And you definitely are! Every post you write is filled with your gratitude for what is occurring in your world at that moment. A beautiful trait to have xoxo
I love your words dearly Kathryn – I certainly wish for a global population of hopeless romantics (i’m simultaneously swooning and giggling at the thought). I find that if I take every moment/day exactly for what it is, and I replace all expectations with gratitude instead – my mood is infinitely more peaceful. good oncoming week to you. xo
Such a gift to be able to find beauty in every moment- and such an inspiration to me as well, Danielle! Tacos seem to be the perfect vehicle for this fresh combo- so lovely!
Emily thank you for your caring words, it’s so very kind to have your support. I find it really helps to appreciate the individual things, just as much as the whole. And here I seriously love the roasted turnips, but you’re right, enveloped in the tacos they are great! ♥ ♥