Has there ever been a food that you grew up eating as a child that you wish you could have again? Well, Turnips With Mustard Greens and Cornmeal Dumplings is that food for me. When I was growing up my mother would make Turnips with Mustard Greens and Cornmeal Dumplings which I have been craving the last few weeks.
The turnips roots were never my favorite as I was growing up. Well, can you imagine that? However, it’s funny as you grow older your taste change. One develops the taste for food you didn’t like during childhood clearly, I have developed a taste for turnips roots in adulthood.
Remembering My Mother’s Mustard and Turnip Greens
Without a doubt, I loved my mother’s mustard and turnips greens. She would combine the two together as a result, developing a peppery and sweet taste. Oh, how delicious those greens would be. The greens could be a meal in themselves along with those cornmeal dumplings.
I was successful in acquiring the proper method to cook the greens from my mother it was making the cornmeal dumplings that I failed to learn.
The disadvantages to cleaning turnips and mustard greens
Spring forward quite a few years and I’m figuring out how to make my mother’s cornmeal dumplings. The idea is to re-create the flavor and re-create the taste. After all these years what I want most is to taste those turnips with mustard greens and cornmeal dumplings.
I can remember picking turnips greens from the garden and washing them at an outside hydrant using two galvanized buckets. I would have to wash those greens over and over in those two buckets depending on how much soil was on them. Upon bringing the greens into the house, my mother would wash the greens several times again before cooking to make sure the greens were thoroughly clean.
One of the disadvantages of cleaning turnips and mustard greens is that they always collect a lot of grit and dirt on the leaves. Obviously, it’s a lot of work to clean greens. Just a small amount of grit left on them during the cleaning process could lead to a very unpleasant eating experience. If they were mature greens the stems would be removed however, if they were young plants the stems would be used in the dish as well.
There’s nothing like a plate full of turnips with mustard greens and cornmeal dumplings that will put a smile on your face and a song in your heart. Clearly, this was down-home cooking at its best. The liquid that the greens were cooked in, was referred to as pot liquor. Without a doubt, you could drink the pot liquor just for its flavor. As a result, it has such a wonderful flavor that adds to the bold taste of the cornmeal dumplings.
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- 2 bunches mustard greens (or a green mix:1 bunch mustard greens and 1 bunch turnip greens)
- 2 medium turnip roots cut into medium pieces
- 3 chicken bouillon
- 4 cups water or chicken/vegetable broth (omit bouillon cubes if using both)
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 cup cornmeal
- ⅓ cup flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup chopped green onions (optional or onions of your choice)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup water
- Prep the greens by removing any thick stems. It's equally important to discard greens that might be damaged or discolored. Wash the greens in cold water to remove any dirt or grit.
- Place the clean greens into a large pot with the 4 cups of water. If the leaves are large feel free to cut them in half before placing them into the pot.
- Add the chicken bouillon cubes (or chicken/vegetable broth), minced garlic, brown sugar, onion powder, salt, vinegar and red pepper flakes (optional) in other words, these ingredients will lean excellent flavor to the greens.
- Stir the ingredients into the greens, cook uncovered for 25 minutes on medium heat.
- If the liquid becomes low add more water to the pot as a result, it prevents the greens from becoming dry.
- Add the turnip roots to the greens, mix them evenly throughout the greens. Without a doubt, the turnip roots will boost the flavor factor of the greens.
- While the greens are cooking during the first 25 minutes prepare the cornmeal dumplings.
- In a medium bowl combine the cornmeal, flour, salt, onions, and baking powder mix all the ingredients thoroughly together. Slowly add the water to the ingredients mixing until a soft sticky dough occurs.
- Use a teaspoon to drop the dumplings into the greens. However, you could shape the dumplings into small balls using clean hands. Place the dumpling on top of the green throughout the pot.
- Place the lid on the pot and allow the steam to help cook the cornmeal dumplings. At this point do not stir the greens. Allow the dumplings to cook for another 20 minutes until the dumplings are puffed, and fully cooked. The size of the dumplings will determine the amount of time needed to cook them, for that reason more liquid will be needed throughout the cooking process.
I remember the goodness of eating mustard greens , turnips and cornbread dumplings. I do prepare them from time to time. Love seeing your recipe. It does the meal much justice. Thanks for taking time to share.
Sue, thank you for taking the time to stop by. This is such a delightful dish, it always reminds me of being in the kitchen with my mom when preparing Turnips with Mustard Greens and Cornmeal Dumplings. They are just memories on a plate!
I remember as a girl in the kitchen with my foster mother cooking turnip greens with corn meal dumplings. They were delicious