Carrot

Not Your Nana's Rotmos (Scandinavian Rutabaga)

by:
September 24, 2011
4.5
2 Ratings
  • Serves 8
Author Notes

If you looked up the word “lowly” in the dictionary, you might find a picture of a turnip. It is the petite syrah of root vegetables, garnering little, if any, respect. Indeed, when turnips are invoked, it is usually something along the lines of “sleazy white trash with the IQs of turnips” (from a movie review of Natural Born Killers) or, from this one website, “Clients will not return to someone who may exhibit great skills as an Esthetician but has the personality of a turnip!” No one ever called a turnip noble, or inspiring, or penned a poem about one. True, the poet Sappho reportedly called one of her lovers “Gongýla” - ancient Greek for turnip - and Tolstoy did write a short story called “The Enormous Turnip,” but it involved peasants. To make matters worse, what my Irish-Swedish family calls turnips are actually not turnips at all, but rutabagas, which many people also refer to as yellow turnips (or swedes) and which some people use in the thrilling sport of rutabaga curling. (I am not making this up: http://www.youtube.com...). We prefer to eat them rather than fling them, although after enough pinot grigio my family can be persuaded to do most anything, including welcoming this version of Nana's Rotmos instead of the cheese-laced, heavy cream-soused, cinnamon-sprinkled version we grew up with. —wssmom

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Thyme-scented Bechamel
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 1/4 cups milk
  • 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
  • healthy pinch of nutmeg
  • salt and pepper
  • Mashed Swedes
  • 2 softball-sized rutabagas, peeled and cut into small cubes
  • 2 carrots, peeled and cut into small cubes
  • 2 quarts vegetable stock or water
  • 1 potato, peeled and cut into cubes (you can so totally leave this out, it's only in there for Nana's sake)
  • chunk of butter (maybe 2 tablespoons)
  • 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • nutmeg and pepper
  • 1/2 cup sliced onions or leeks, sauteed in olive oil until crispy (maybe 20-30 minutes) and drained on paper towels
Directions
  1. Thyme-scented Bechamel
  2. Melt the butter over medium heat in a smallish saucepan along with the garlic clove, and when the butter stops foaming remove the garlic clove and stir in the flour.
  3. Heat the milk until just shy of boiling, either in another small saucepan or in the microwave, along with the sprigs of thyme.
  4. To the roux add the hot milk, a little at a time and whisking constantly, and bring to a slow boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Fish out the thyme sprigs and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
  1. Mashed Swedes
  2. Put the rutabagas and carrots in a big saucepan, cover with the vegetable stock, and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and simmer about 20 minutes, then add the potato if using and simmer another 10 minutes or until you can easily put the tip of a paring knife through one of rutabagas. Drain, mash and stir in the butter, Aleppo pepper and the salt.
  3. Transfer to a bowl and, using a hand mixer, beat in the reserved Bechamel. Check and adjust seasonings, adding a bit more nutmeg and pepper as desired. Top with crispy onions or leeks.
  4. If you have any Swedes in your family, make sure to serve with plenty of pinot grigio.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • aargersi
    aargersi
  • Niknud
    Niknud
  • lapadia
    lapadia
  • EmilyC
    EmilyC
  • boulangere
    boulangere

14 Reviews

Kate H. December 31, 2023
I forgot the nutmeg, but this was great. I grew up eating rutabagas and nobody else likes them. Hmm. forgot the garlic too, but this dish is wonderful!
 
aargersi September 26, 2011
Rutabegas should be eaten, not curled :-) And have you read Rootabega Stories by Carl Sandberg? One of my fave books when I was a kid ...
 
wssmom September 26, 2011
No way!! Really? Rootabega Stories?!! How did I miss that? Heading to library now ...
 
wssmom September 26, 2011
Even better found it on line on Project Gutenberg!! In the midst of "How they bring back the village of cream puffs when the wind blows it away ...."
 
aargersi September 26, 2011
They are really good, aren't they?
 
wssmom September 26, 2011
Food52 stretches your horizons in unexpected ways!!
 
Niknud September 26, 2011
Love love love the headnote - great story, great images! Oh yah, and the dish sounds good too! :) I am all over the crispy onions....
 
wssmom September 26, 2011
Oh yah lol thanks Niknud! The crispy onions are the best!
 
lapadia September 25, 2011
Love this mash and your headnote, wssmom! The cool weather is blowing in, I hope to try this...saved.
 
wssmom September 25, 2011
Hooray for cooler weather! Thanks, lapadia!
 
EmilyC September 25, 2011
You've made the lowly turnip / rutabaga sound pretty darn good! Really nice recipe!
 
wssmom September 25, 2011
Thanks, EmilyC!
 
boulangere September 25, 2011
Good heavens, what a history here. I also would far rather to eat them than to fling them, though curling has an odd fascination as an adult sport.
 
wssmom September 25, 2011
I think it should be an Olympic event. Rutabaga curling, that is.