By DAVE KESSLER
Skinny Cooks Can't Be Trusted 

This is the time of year I get hungry for some nicely cooked turnips. In fact, one of my favorite vegetable casseroles is a turnip cheese casserole I have enjoyed over the years.

The first time I enjoyed this was in a restaurant in northern New York state

I was up there to give a seminar to New York auctioneers. I was amazed to see so much fall produce available in that area.

One of the auctioneers gave me what he called a cow turnip. It was about the size of a football and was to be ground up for cow feed.

The turnips best for this casserole are a little less than the size of a baseball.

My friends advised that using turnips about a quarter-pound each would yield the best turnips for human consumption.

They said young turnips with a high moisture content are the choice of fine chefs.

Older turnips that have been in storage can be used, but they are generally tough and dry and may require being blanched for several minutes before use.

2 quarter-pound turnips, peeled and sliced in about 1/4-inch slices

Salted boiling water for short blanching

Olive oil

4 slices white bread, with crusts removed

Some thinly sliced onions, enough to cover the bread in the casserole in 1 layer

4 ounces Gruyere cheese, divided

Salt and pepper

Use a small casserole dish for this recipe. One 5-by-8 inches should be just right.

Blanch the raw turnip slices in the salted boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain.

Grease the casserole with the olive oil.

Place a layer of bread on the bottom of the casserole dish.

Layer on half the turnip slices and season with a little salt and pepper.

Next, add all the sliced onions in a layer. Put half the cheese over the sliced onions. Add another layer of bread, turnips and cheese.

Add a little more seasoning.

Bake at 325 degrees for approximately 30 minutes. If you have used a pan or dish that can handle broiling temperatures, you can set this under your broiler for a couple minutes to brown the top.

This makes a small amount of the casserole, and you can multiply the ingredients for serving a crowd.

Readers with questions or comments for Dave Kessler may write to him in care of this publication.