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Thursday, November 7, 2013

Rutabaga Fries Suck!



***Disclaimer*** I took this picture but I did NOT write the sign. I don't think Miss June or her lovely husband Mr. Jimmy (owners of this little veggie stand) have a dictionary close by...bless their hearts! It is rutabagas not rutabages

I saw this strange lookin' vegetable at a little road side stand and I thought to myself, WTF is a rutabaga? I bought one for a buck and brought this three pounder home. I did what anyone else would do when trying to figure out how in hell to cook this monster...GOOGLE it. Up came a recipe for Rutabaga Oven Fries...hot diggity! I read through all of the reviews and they got me excited! Here are a few:

*These are so good! Taste like a cross between a potato, sweet potato, and a carrot. 
*These were really really tasty and smelled wonderful cooking.
*I love rutabaga fries. I coat mine with smoked paprika and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

I was super jazzed to find a replacement for regular french fries because I am supposed to stay away from nightshades (potato, tomato, peppers, eggplant). I followed the directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Combine rutabaga spears with oil, minced rosemary, garlic, and salt. Toss until evenly coated. Lay rutabaga spears onto a baking sheet, leaving space between for even crisping. Bake until rutabaga fries are cooked through and crisped on the outside, about 30 minutes.

Thirty minutes...I DON'T THINK SO! I ended up having to bake these suckers for over an hour. I also had to keep increasing the heat. I even had my oven on broil trying to attempt to crisp up these "fries". They NEVER got crisp and they ended up tasting like a spear of raw cabbage...NOT A CROSS BETWEEN A POTATO, SWEET POTATO AND A CARROT! Do not...I repeat...DO NOT make rutabaga fries in the oven. They might work fried in oil but I am guessing the taste will still be the same. They leave a bitter funky aftertaste in your mouth. 


I am looking for another recipe for rutabagas...one that does not have the words "oven" or "fries" in the title. I want to give this vegetable another chance so let me know if you have a recipe that I can try. I have heard that rutabagas are good in soups and mashed up like potatoes but I am having my doubts. Will your recipe change my mind? I sure hope so.

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