Turnip Soup with Turnip Greens

Preparation Peel the turnips (thickly, if they are large and mature) and slice them into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil; then add 2 teaspoons salt and the turnips. Cover the pot and cook for 1 minute; then drain. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a soup pot with 1/2 cup water. Add the leeks, the blanched turnips, the thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stew them, covered, over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, and then add the milk. Slowly heat it without bringing it to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the turnips are completely tender. Cool the soup briefly; then purée it in a blender. If necessary, thin it with additional milk or water. Season to taste with salt, if needed, and freshly ground pepper. Sort through the turnip greens and remove any that are bruised or especially tough looking, and wash them. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan, add the turnip greens, and cook them over medium heat until they are tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the cooked greens to a cutting board and chop them, roughly or fine, as you prefer; then add them to the soup and serve. Or garnish with fresh chopped thyme. Reprinted with permission from The Greens Cookbooks by Deborah Madison and Edward Espé Brown, © 1987 Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher Deborah Madison was the founding chef of Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, which has been in operation for more than two decades. She is the author of five cookbooks, including The Savory Way and Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, both of which were awarded the Julia Child Book of the Year; Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone received a James Beard Award as well. She wrote the vegetable chapter for the new Joy of Cooking and contributes to many magazines, including Food and Wine, Saveur, and Gourmet. In 1987 Deborah Madison was awarded the André Simon Memorial Prize and in 1994 the M.F.K. Fisher Mid-Career Award from Les Dames d'Escoffier. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Edward Espé Brown, who learned to cook at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, is the author of the world-renowned Tassajara Bread Book, Tassajara Cooking, and The Tassajara Recipe Book.

Preparation Peel the turnips (thickly, if they are large and mature) and slice them into rounds about 1/4 inch thick. Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil; then add 2 teaspoons salt and the turnips. Cover the pot and cook for 1 minute; then drain. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a soup pot with 1/2 cup water. Add the leeks, the blanched turnips, the thyme, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stew them, covered, over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, and then add the milk. Slowly heat it without bringing it to a boil, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the turnips are completely tender. Cool the soup briefly; then purée it in a blender. If necessary, thin it with additional milk or water. Season to taste with salt, if needed, and freshly ground pepper. Sort through the turnip greens and remove any that are bruised or especially tough looking, and wash them. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan, add the turnip greens, and cook them over medium heat until they are tender, about 5 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the cooked greens to a cutting board and chop them, roughly or fine, as you prefer; then add them to the soup and serve. Or garnish with fresh chopped thyme. Reprinted with permission from The Greens Cookbooks by Deborah Madison and Edward Espé Brown, © 1987 Excerpted by permission of Broadway, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher Deborah Madison was the founding chef of Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, which has been in operation for more than two decades. She is the author of five cookbooks, including The Savory Way and Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, both of which were awarded the Julia Child Book of the Year; Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone received a James Beard Award as well. She wrote the vegetable chapter for the new Joy of Cooking and contributes to many magazines, including Food and Wine, Saveur, and Gourmet. In 1987 Deborah Madison was awarded the André Simon Memorial Prize and in 1994 the M.F.K. Fisher Mid-Career Award from Les Dames d'Escoffier. She lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Edward Espé Brown, who learned to cook at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, is the author of the world-renowned Tassajara Bread Book, Tassajara Cooking, and The Tassajara Recipe Book.