What Do You Do with a Rutabaga? Eat it!

So in my never-ending adventures with my CSA box, I come across some curious specimens. And by “curious” I mean “I’ve always been too lazy to buy and cook them before.” Case in point, rutabaga. I’ve always known rutabaga existed, but I couldn’t tell you anything about it or how to use it in a recipe. I hate wasting, though, so when a big ol’ rutabaga arrived in my CSA box the other week I knew I had to do something.

After some research, I figured I could use a rutabaga in the same way I could use a potato or turnip. It’s a root vegetable with a similar texture, so hey. I decided to make it into a hash with my CSA spinach and beets and top with runny eggs, because as I’ve been telling you guys time & time (& tiiiiiime) again, runny eggs make everything better. And guess what? I was right, it was great.

I know the name of this recipe might sound scary because it combines two stereotypically reviled childhood vegetables – rutabaga and beets, ahhh! – but I promise it’s super delicious.

Rutabaga & Beet Breakfast Hash

1 big rutabaga
3 beets
1 sweet yellow onion
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 cup goat cheese crumbles
3-4 eggs
2 tsp paprika
red pepper flakes
sea salt & fresh cracked black pepper

This should make two fairly hearty servings. You could stretch it by adding more eggs. So, just look at this big guy I was dealing with:

That big white ball back there is my peeled rutabaga. So yep, just peel the beets and rutabaga like I did, then chop them up into little pieces along with the onion. After that, put a big skillet on medium heat and melt the coconut oil inside. Toss in the vegetables, sprinkle with salt, and let them cook down for awhile until it looks about like this:

A little browned. Nice. Throw in the rest of the spices and turn up the heat to medium high. Crack four eggs straight into the skillet on top of the vegetables and throw the spinach in over it. Let everything cook together until the spinach is wilted, egg whites are solidified and opaque, but the yolks are still soft. I totally broke one of my yolks, as you can see. Whatevs.

Annnd that’s it! Scoop out onto a plate, sprinkle with goat cheese, top with more salt and/or pepper, and serve. The rutabaga is sweet and firm, kind of like a yam. It’s good for you. You will like it. Thanks, CSA, for teaching me to cook outside my produce comfort zone.

For more healthy recipes, cocktails, food travel, and restaurant reviews, check out ES Emily’s individual blog, A Time to Kale, or tweet her @emilyteachout.