Everything is better with BACON!

So I'm still suffering from CSA box bareness.  The box is pretty empty this week but I did get some turnip.  I love turnip.  Even if you don't, everything is better with bacon....

I cooked my lovely dish with a side of roasted rabbit.  Rabbit is fairly common in our meat share.  I was a bit skeptical to begin with but if Jacques Pepin cooks it, it must be good.  And it is!  If rabbit doesn't  float your boat or you can't find any, chicken legs would work great here.  Let's make this into dinner!

Roast Rabbit Legs with Mustard Maple Tarragon

Preheat the oven to 350F
Mix together the following:

• Dijon Mustard
• Maple Syrup
• Dried Tarragon

Sear the rabbit legs in an oven proof pan (cast iron works great!). Turn them over and smear the mustard mix over them.  Pop the pan in the oven and cook until a meat thermometer reaches 160F.  About and hour or so depending on the size of your legs.

Turnip and Bacon with Mushrooms and Greens
Ingredients:

• 1 large turnip or 2 small (smaller are easier to cut)
• 2 slices of thick bacon, use more if your bacon is thin
• 1 medium onion
• 6 - 8 mushrooms, I used cremini
• 2 -3 handfuls of greens, I used spinach
• a little salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. While the rabbit cooks, peel and cut the turnip into 1/2 inch chunk.  Get the turnip in a pot, cover with water and bring to a boil.  Cook until just tender with a fork, about 15 minutes.
2. Dice the bacon into 1/4 inch chunks
3. Put the bacon in a deep saucepan with 1 -2 inch sides and a cover.  But don't cover it yet!
4. Saute the bacon until it's almost crisp
5. Add in the onions and cook until tender and translucent
6. Add in the mushrooms and cook until soft.
7. Once the turnip is tender, drain it and add to the pan with the bacon mix
8. Cover and turn to low until almost ready to serve.
9. Right before serving toss in the spinach and cook until wilted.

 

If you like you can deglaze the pan the rabbit cooked in with some white wine and cream and toss it into the turnip mix.  Yum!

A pan of sauce and a pan of turnip!

The finished dish.