turnip
Radish's pale cousin
A turnip is a root vegetable with white or cream-colored flesh and a purple-tinged top where it grows above ground.
It has a mildly peppery, slightly bitter taste and is eaten cooked or raw.
The leafy greens attached to the top, called turnip greens, are also edible and popular in Southern cooking.
The phrase fell off the turnip truck suggests someone is naive or unsophisticated, as if they just arrived from rural farm country.
Brassica root vegetable
- swedeYellow-fleshed root vegetable
- radishPeppery edible root
- kohlrabiBulbous-stemmed brassica vegetable
- cabbageLeafy vegetable head
kale · broccoli · cauliflower · collard · rapini · bok choy · mustard greens · arugula
Main descending root
- bulbousSwollen and round
- swollenAbnormally enlarged
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
- storage organStructure retaining nutrients or energy
Coarse and unpretentious
- pepperyHaving sharp, hot flavor
- bitterSharp, unpleasant taste
- mildModerate in intensity
- sweetTasting of sugar
pungent · sharp · mellow · crisp · tender · young · mature · woody
Cooked uncovered with heat
- mashedCrushed to softness
- pickledPreserved in acidic solution
- stewedCooked low and slow
- braisedBrowned and simmered slowly
sautéed · glazed · soup · gratin · neeps · pot roast · stir-fried · salted
Limiting distribution during scarcity
- scarcityInsufficiency of something needed
- subsistenceMinimal means of living
- survivalRemaining alive against odds
- famine foodSubsistence during extreme shortage
ersatz · starvation · blockade · shortage · privation · wartime
Planting for cultivation
- harvestGathering mature crops
- cultivationFostering growth through care
- thinningReducing density or number
- seedbedPrepared ground for sprouting
crop rotation · direct seeding · cool season · spring planting · row covers · germination · bolting · overwintering
Uppermost parts or garments
- leavesTree's photosynthetic organs
- bitter greensSharp-tasting leafy vegetables
- potlikkerBroth from cooked greens
- Southern cookingRegional American culinary tradition
collards · mustard greens · nutritious · wilted · garlicky · tender · peppery
Plant-based digestive aid
- vitamin CEssential water-soluble antioxidant
- potassiumNineteenth element, symbol K
- folateVitamin for DNA synthesis
- manganeseTransition metal, element 25
low-calorie · antioxidants · calcium · magnesium · phosphorus · iron · dietary · nutrient-dense
Able to survive freezing
- resilientAble to recover quickly
- overwinteringEnduring the cold months
- adaptableAble to adjust readily
- vigorousHaving great physical energy
rutabaga
Brassica root vegetable
- swedeYellow-fleshed root vegetable
- radishPeppery edible root
- kohlrabiBulbous-stemmed brassica vegetable
cabbage · kale · broccoli · cauliflower · collard · rapini · bok choy · mustard greens · arugula · watercress
taproot
Main descending root
- bulbousSwollen and round
- swollenAbnormally enlarged
- undergroundBelow ground or countercultural
storage organ · flesh · skin · white · purple · globe · round · top · crown · greens
earthy
Coarse and unpretentious
sweet · pungent · sharp · mellow · crisp · tender · young · mature · woody · strong
roasted
Cooked uncovered with heat
braised · sautéed · glazed · soup · gratin · neeps · pot roast · stir-fried · salted · fermented
rationing
Limiting distribution during scarcity
- scarcityInsufficiency of something needed
- subsistenceMinimal means of living
- survivalRemaining alive against odds
famine food · ersatz · starvation · blockade · shortage · privation · wartime
sowing
Planting for cultivation
- harvestGathering mature crops
- cultivationFostering growth through care
- thinningReducing density or number
seedbed · crop rotation · direct seeding · cool season · spring planting · row covers · germination · bolting · overwintering · market garden
tops
Uppermost parts or garments
- leavesTree's photosynthetic organs
- bitter greensSharp-tasting leafy vegetables
- potlikkerBroth from cooked greens
Southern cooking · collards · mustard greens · nutritious · wilted · garlicky · tender · peppery
fiber
Plant-based digestive aid
- vitamin CEssential water-soluble antioxidant
- potassiumNineteenth element, symbol K
- folateVitamin for DNA synthesis
manganese · low-calorie · antioxidants · calcium · magnesium · phosphorus · iron · dietary · nutrient-dense · healthful
cold-hardy
Able to survive freezing
- resilientAble to recover quickly
- overwinteringEnduring the cold months
- adaptableAble to adjust readily
- edible plantsvegetable, lettuce, carrot, spinach, cabbage
- plantstree, plants, leaves, bluebonnet, trees
- vegetablesbroccoli, carrots, carrot, potato, cucumber
- edible rootscarrot, radish, parsnip, rutabaga, celeriac
- garden vegetablescarrot, carrots, potato, potatoes, tomato
- root vegetablescarrot, potato, beet, radish, parsnip
- blood from a turnipGetting nothing from nothing
- get blood from a turnipAttempt the impossible
- turnip greensEdible leaves of a root vegetable
- get blood out of a turnipAttempt the impossible extraction
- fell off the turnip truckExtremely credulous and unsophisticated
- fall off the turnip truckAppear laughably inexperienced