Follow step-by-step, photo illustrated instructions to make our special Turnip Greens with Diced Turnips Recipe. Fresh turnip greens and turnips are a cold weather delight. We’ll visit our North Carolina State Farmer’s Market to pick up some fresh greens, then cook them up with some pork seasoning for a hearty dish that goes great as a side, or as a meal on its own. Printable recipe included.
Turnip Greens Recipe:
In all honesty, I must start this particular post by saying right up front that I’m not a fan of Turnip Greens. I’m not really a fan of any kind of leafy green that I’ve tried thus far. It’s just me, please don’t hold it against my Southernality. (Is that even a word?)
Mama cooked lots of Turnip Greens, both with diced Turnips and without. She enjoyed them, and my dad, my brother, and my sister enjoyed them. I’ve just never been able to develop a taste for them. And, before you tell me that I’ve just never had any that were cooked right, I’ll have to jump right in and say, “if Mama couldn’t cook them, nobody can.” Enough said on that point.
So, you will probably ask, and rightfully so, HOW can I share a recipe for something that I don’t eat and don’t like? You would be well within your right to question me on that. I’d just have to reply that even though I don’t like them, I’ve “tasted” a fair share of them over the years. I’ve tasted the one’s Mama cooked, and the one’s we prepared and sold at the restaurants I’ve been involved with. Does that count?
It’s my hope, that I can show you how the process of preparing Turnip Greens, including diced Turnips, goes about taking place. I’ll give you the basics and I think that if you like greens, you’ll like these. Or, at least it will get you off on the right track to learning how to cook them to your own personal taste. These are lightly seasoned, with just a hint of sugar. Mama always added a little sugar to about ALL of the vegetables she prepared. Some folks add a lot more sugar than this recipe calls for, but that’s not what I experienced growing up. It’s all personal taste, so do it the way you’ll enjoy it the most.
I’ve also included a few pictures of the North Carolina State Farmers Market that I enjoy shopping at. I have a great love of Farmer’s Markets. I think it’s because growing up, my dad had a produce stand out by the road in front of our house. For years, I watched the “Fruitstand” as we called it, while he went off and worked the garden to keep our stand stocked. Thank You Daddy, for giving me the easy part. You might have spoiled me a bit, but I’ll be eternally grateful.
We had seen an inch or two of snow just a few days before my visit to the Market and more snow was in the forecast for the days ahead. Even during the dead cold of winter, our State Farmer’s Market is open, with vendors from across the state, selling their locally grown goods. They’re there on the hottest days of the year, and on the coldest days of the year. They’re under shelter, but the shelter is open on all sides, so they bundle up good to keep providing us with locally grown produce. Thank You to our farmers for all you do.
If you have the opportunity where you live, I strongly encourage you to support your local farmers. They have a tough job, even though they usually love it. It’s great to see this movement with folks going back to purchasing fresh, locally grown produce. We have a small Farmer’s Market in my hometown that is open on Saturdays throughout the summer. Maybe one day, we’ll have one that is open all year around, if we can find enough folks to support it.
So, if you’re ready to stroll the Farmer’s Market with me, and pick up a “mess of greens,” we’ll get in the kitchen real soon. Ready for some Turnip Greens? Alright then… Let’s Get Cooking!
This is the main Farmers Building at the North Carolina State Farmers Market in Raleigh, North Carolina. Normally, it’s buzzing with lots of people, but it’s pretty cold during this first part of February and just a few days before we get more snow. Still, there are some brave vendors weathering the cold and making the handful of shoppers on this day, pretty happy they’re here.
The most obvious vegetable this time of year is “greens.” You’ll find lots of fresh Collards, these Cabbage Collards, Kale, Mustard Greens and Turnip Greens. If you’ve read the very first recipe I ever posted here on Taste of Southern, you probably know that I’m NOT here for Collards. Let’s keep looking.
There was an ample supply of New Potatoes to be found, along with some Onions and a variety of Winter Squash. I liked this display using the old baskets.
You could find several varieties of Sweet Potatoes, by the pound, or by the box. Just about all the vendors had Sweet Potatoes and Collards available. You could find Greenhouse Tomatoes, Shelled Pecans, Honey, Salsa, Cakes, Breads, and there’s still a pretty good selection of North Carolina Mountain Apples available.
THIS is was what we were looking for. Fresh Turnips and Turnip roots. I’ve been reading a lot about how these are so good for your health, like most leafy greens. But, as you may or may not know, I have just never had any desire for greens of any kind. I can eat a little Spinach, but that’s about it for any type of leafy green you’ll see on my plate.
I picked up a couple of the roots and a two pound bunch of greens for myself, and picked up a pound of Turnip Greens and a pound of Mustard Greens for a friend. That’s not a lot for either one of us, as they will cook down a good deal once they hit the sauce pot. I was just picking up enough to use for this recipe, and since my friends wife doesn’t like them, he didn’t need many either.
Turnip Greens with Diced Turnips Recipe: You’ll need these ingredients.
Like Collards, most folks refer to this as a “mess of greens.” I’m using pork side meat for seasoning purposes.
There are several choices for meat to season the greens while they cook. Folks around here will often use Ham Hocks, Bacon, Bacon Grease, Hog Jowl, Salt Pork, Streak-o-Lean, or this “Side Meat” as it’s called. As the name implies, this is cut from the side of the pig. If it were smoked and cured, we’d call it Bacon. It usually contains a bit more meat than pork belly does.
I purchase this from a store just a few miles from where I live. They keep a large piece of this side meat, hanging in a wooden box with a screened door, no refrigeration. You tell them about how much you want, and they take a butcher knife and slice you off a hunk. They can normally cut off what you requested within an ounce or two.
There are some folks that actually prefer side meat over bacon. I’m afraid I don’t understand why. Some will fry it up with salt and pepper, and make a sandwich out of it. I’ll stick with good old bacon myself. Side meat normally has a good coating of Black Pepper on it. Without the salting and curing process, it doesn’t add seasoning flavor to the greens like Bacon or Ham Hock would so we’ll add a bit more salt.
Cut the pieces of pork into cubes and place in a large sauce pot. Cover it with about 6 inches of water and place it on the stove top. Set the heat to Medium-High and let the water come to a rolling boil. Reduce the temperature down to Medium and just let the meat simmer while we prepare the greens.
We’re giving it a head start on the cooking process as it will take longer to cook the pork than the greens. I’d let them cook at least 30 minutes before adding the greens. It’s going to take a little time to prepare the greens anyway, so let the meat be cooking while you wash the greens.
Scrub the turnips under cold running water. I always wash my vegetables, even if I’m planning on peeling them. It’s just me.
Peel the turnips. They can be a bit tough, so be careful.
You could drag out the cutting board and dice them up properly. Mama always just held them in her hands and cut them up like she did her potatoes. Cut them into thick slices, then into the dices. I always drop them into a bowl of water as I cut them. Set them aside while you wash and prepare the greens.
We might stir up a little controversy with the next step. As you can see, the leafy green has a pretty large stem that runs down the middle. Some folks, think you’re just being wasteful if you remove it. I reckon I’m just being wasteful. It’s a matter of taste, as the stem is often a bit bitter, and changes the taste of the cooked greens. If you’ve never cooked them before, I suggest you remove most of the stems first time around, leaving just a few, so you can decide if you like the taste of them or not.
As for me, anything that might help improve the taste of these greens is surely worth doing. I’m going to remove the stems.
Fold the leaf over and just pull the leaf away from the stem. You could cut it out, but I think it’s just as easy to strip it away.
Remove all the stems. As you can see, it IS a large amount that we’re going to discard.
Fill the sink with water so you can wash the greens. These have already been washed several times before I bought them at the Farmers Market. The vendor I purchased these from stated they had been hand washed three times already. Like Collards, the greens can have a lot of dirt on them when picked from the garden. You will need to make sure you’ve washed all the dirt off, or you’ll feel some gritty particles when you start eating them.
I’m adding a couple of Tablespoons of Salt to the water as well. I’m not really afraid these have bugs, but if you were to purchase greens from someone that hadn’t washed them already, you might find some bugs on the underside of the leaves. The salt will kill the bugs and allow them to be washed away.
Jump in with both hands and wash the greens really well. Look the leaves over to be sure there aren’t any bugs hiding anywhere on the leaves. You’ll will probably see the water starting to get a little dirty looking. I also tear the leaves into small pieces while I’m washing them. You can chop them easier after they cook, but since I’m cooking them WITH the roots, I’ll break them down now.
Next, you’ll want to drain off the dirty water. Fill the sink back up with more water and wash them some more. You’ll need to keep repeating this process until the water runs clear and is no longer dirty looking.
It’s a bit of a process, especially if you were to buy them from a roadside stand where they had never been washed at all. It IS however, very important, that you get all that dirt off of them before you start placing them in the pot.
After the meat has boiled for 30-40 minutes, we can add the washed greens. Start by placing a handful or two in the pot and letting them cook down for a minute or two. Stir them around a bit and they’ll just settle right down in the pot.
Keep adding the greens, a little at a time, until you’ve got them all in the pot. This is usually when you realize you may not have bought enough to feed the family. Smile.
Add the Sugar, Salt, and the Black Pepper. We’re starting out easy on the salt for now.
Once you stir it a bit, you’ll see how much these wilt down once they go into the pot.
Cover the pot and let the greens simmer for about 15 minutes.
Next, add the diced turnips. You can use the water that was in the bowl if it looks like you need a bit more for the greens. You could also just add more water from the faucet as needed. Make sure the greens are just slightly covered.
Stir everything together.
Let the pot come back up to a slight boil. Then, cover the pot and reduce the heat down a notch or two. You want them to cook at a low simmer until the greens and diced turnips are tender. Cooking time will vary depending on the size and age of the greens. Keep tasting them after about 20-30 minutes to see if they are tender enough to your liking, or if they need any more Salt or Pepper.
When the greens and turnips are done, use a slotted spoon and scoop them out into a serving bowl. If you want, you can chop them so you’re not finding large pieces of leaves when you start eating them. I really didn’t have to chop these since I had torn them into small pieces while I was washing them.
The liquid left in the pot is referred to as “pot likker.” You can add as much, or as little as you want, to the bowl before you serve them. Many folks will cook up some cornbread and dunk it into the pot likker once the turnips are gone.
You can cut up the pieces of meat, or just remove the fat and leave the lean meat pieces to go into the bowl. It’s your choice of course. Turnip Greens will go well with some homemade Cornbread or Hoe Cakes. Lots of folks, especially my brother, like to add lots of vinegar on top before eating them. I think that’s just to help kill some of the bitterness, but hey, that’s my personal opinion. Others like to cut up some fresh Onion and add to the bowl.
Serve them up while they’re warm and Enjoy!
