Letting someone else pick what's for dinner (Turnips with roasted garlic goat cheese)

I love it one someone else takes charge sometimes.  I am a type A lawyer, a sorority alum president, live alone and get to make food decisions for my Hogs for the Cause team.  I make a lot of decisions and am in charge, a lot.  Especially around here, I am in charge of what is for dinner (not as much anymore, but still often enough) and what goes on this blog.

I got a box from Hollygrove Market as I am wont to to and sat down to meal plan. These days I subscribe to their newsletter, and they link recipes to match the produce.  I had some turnips and I wanted to do something fun and different with them. Lo and behold there was just the recipe linked on the email for turnips.  With sumac!  I had some of that in my pantry for a now forgotten recipe I was planning to make long ago and never did.  It was perfect!

The flavors of this are so complex and interesting.  And since turnips are, for lack of a better term, bland, they really allow the flavors to shine.  It is like the Middle East met the Southwest and decided to have a party in your mouth, but your mouth is in France.  That may sound weird, but you won't know until you try it!  If nothing, just make the roasted garlic goat cheese.  Holy cow that would be good on a cracker!  Full recipe to follow the montage.

Such a pretty plate!  I was glad to add some colorful garnish, like I do that when I have plain food!

The cast.  I cheated and bought already roasted garlic. I was pressed for time!

Toss those sliced turnips in a bath of goodness.

I decided to roast my turnips to give them a deeper flavor.  You can keep them raw too.

Make that delightful whipped goat cheese.

Some roasted cauliflower would be really good dipped in here as well.

Toast up your sesame seeds.  This was a hard pic to take, clearly.

Toss it up with some other yummy stuff for your colorful, tasty garnish.

It wasn't as smooth as I wanted, but I am a perfectionist.

Place your turnips on top and garnish away.

Turnips With Roasted Garlic Goat Cheese And Sesame (Adapted from Bon Appetit)

Ingredients

1 head of garlic, halved crosswise (I cheated and used already roasted garlic)
1¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling
8 ounces goat cheese
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon black and/or white sesame seeds
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
¼ teaspoon sumac
12 ounces small turnips (about 16), peeled, half quartered, half thinly sliced into rounds
1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar
Cilantro leaves with tender stems and mint leaves (for serving)

Heat oven to 350°. Combine garlic and 1 1/4 cups oil in a small baking dish. Cover dish with foil and roast until garlic is golden brown and tender, 45–50 minutes; let cool. Meanwhile, toss turnips in a medium bowl with vinegar and 2 Tbsp. oil; season with salt and pepper.  Place on a foiled pan and add to oven and cook for 15 minutes.  Remove garlic from oil; squeeze cloves from skins and finely chop to a paste. Process in a food processor along with goat cheese, 1/4 cup garlic roasting oil, and 2 Tbsp. water until smooth (mixture should be spreadable); season with salt and pepper.  Meanwhile, toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool. Mix in lime zest, oregano, thyme, and sumac. Divide goat cheese mixture among plates, top with turnips, sesame mixture, cilantro, and mint, and drizzle with more oil.

Happy Cooking!

Missy