Jason Meyerson, a kind and generous healer working in Ellicott City, will have a little “Brassica rapa” going on at his Thanksgiving table today.
That’s right, Meyerson is eating turnips, not the first food that comes to mind on our national day of turkey and pumpkin pie. And he is no doubt encouraging his children to give them a try as well.
How? By hiding the white, bulbous root — part of the cabbage family and a relative of the radish and the mustard plant — in a mix of creamy mashed potatoes.
“It’s an old recipe I hijacked from an early American cookbook, it’s supposed to be more than 200 years old. I played with it until I got it where I wanted it,” said Meyerson, a chiropractor with offices near the Howard County courthouse in Ellicott City.
“One of the things passed down to me from my mom is a love of feeding people,” he said. “Today is the day we give thanks to God, and I have a lot to be thankful for.”
(One of the many interesting things about Meyerson is his approach to business. Payment for service is voluntary. Patients who have their spines adjusted leave what they think is fair in a box in the hall.)
Meyerson says he first encountered turnips — long a Southern staple for both its root and leaves; bitter or “turnipy” if too large or overcooked — fashioned into Asian latkes at a Chinese dim sum restaurant.
By mashing them along with potatoes and adding nutmeg, the poor man’s vegetable becomes especially festive this time of year.
“The nutmeg gives it a full, winter kind of taste,” said Meyerson, who buys his turnips at Whole Foods as well as the Han Ah Reum market, 800 Rolling Road at Route 40.
Though not unusually strict with his diet — his mashed turnip recipe calls for more than a stick of butter — eating well is important to Meyerson, who has a hands-on connection between his work and the way people eat.
“When some of my patients come in and have been eating at fast food restaurants, it manifests itself in the body,” said Meyerson. “Every time one guy comes in and has a lot of problems in the middle of his back, I know he ate at McDonald’s that day.”
Doctor Jason’s turnip potatoes
» 2 1/2 pounds, red potatoes
» 2 1/2 turnips
» 1 sweet or red onion
» 1 1/4 sticks of butter, as well as an extra
» 2 tablespoons of butter
» 1 1/4 cup of whole milk
» 1 teaspoon nutmeg
» Dried parsley, salt and pepper
Cube turnips and potatoes. Boil in water or chicken stock for 15 to 20 minutes until easily pierced by fork. Chop onion and sauté in pan with 2 tablespoons of butter until lightly browned. Drain potatoes and turnips and combine with milk, butter, onions, nutmeg and personal preference for salt and pepper. Mash. 5. Garnish with sprinkle of dried parsley.
