Rutabaga Fries

What do you do with a rutabaga? That was the question that inspired me to post my first food blog comment and later inspired a post for Rutabaga & Leek Soup. I love rutabagas mashed like potatoes with plenty of salt, pepper, and butter, but, with the warmer weather, I was looking for a new way to use up the three rutabagas that have been camped out in my crisper for longer than I'd care to remember.

I found my answer in Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone: rutabaga fries. Easy to prepare and a great side for the vegetarian Boca burgers I had in mind for dinner.

They didn't come out quite as I expected, but they were delicious and there were no leftovers. I thought they would crisp up more, but they seemed to go from moist to charred and skipped the crisp part, although I liked them in both the moist and charred state. I found I used too much vegetable oil, as they released quite a bit of moisture in the baking process, and I had to drain them on paper towels at the end (but that's almost always a good idea).

I'd definitely try these again and see if I can crisp them up more. The recipe does call for them to be baked "until golden and tender", so there is no promise of crisp in the recipe.

Rutabaga Fries (from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone):

Preheat the oven to 400. Peel rutabagas and cut into French fries. Soak in cold water for 30 minutes. Mix with vegetable oil and salt and bake 30-40 minutes. Toss with rosemary, salt, and pepper.