Gotta love dat Cajun food!

So I'm from the mountains originally, or maybe I should say the valley....Tennessee Valley to be exact.  I grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee and didn't move to swamp country till January 2006.  I cooked rice maybe twice my entire life...I can actually only remember cooking it once, lol.   My point is learning to cook for my husband (Native Louisianian) has been an adventure, to say the least.

A couple of years ago his mawmaw called and told us she wanted to cook us lunch.  Our response was....OF COURSE!!!!  Who passes up a home cooked meal from a Mawmaw especially HIS mawmaw...talk about YUMMY, yet when she told me what was on the menu I gotta admit I had 2nd thoughts.  Turnip Stew and home made hog head cheese.  Say what???  Are you serious?  I mean either of them sound gross enough alone but the combination sounds well to be nice, less than appetizing.  I remember calling my dad on the way over to her house saying, "Dad, you're never gonna believe what I'm about to eat..." To which he responded laughingly "Better you than me."  Anyway to make a long story longer.... the turnip stew was AMAZING...and the hog head cheese was....um....ok :) 

So a couple of days ago, when a friend of ours called and asked if we wanted to pick some turnips out of their family's garden we jumped at the chance.  I hadn't had turnip roots since his MawMaw's, and I was determined to make mine taste just as yummy.  This is the recipe I used:

Smothered Turnips

• 4 turnip Roots
• 1-1/2 cups water
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 slices salt pork 

Slice turnips 1/4 inch thick.  Combine turnips, water, salt, pepper, sugar and salt pork in a heavy pot.  Cover and cook on high heat for 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium low and cook for 30 minutes or until tender.

Bon Appetit!