Phoebe's Kitchen

Easter Brunch - Potato Brunch Casserole

Hard to believe that we ate outdoors last Easter on the first Sunday in April.  This year the weathermen can't make up their mind - rain or sun.

The dish below was given to me by a dear friend from Sarasota, Florida.  Whenever it is served, it just disappears. All I can say absolutely  delicious.  From Taste and Tales of Massachusetts

                 Potato Brunch Casserole

1 (32-ounce) package hash browns

1 pint whipping cream

1 (16-ounce) package Swiss cheese, grated

1 stick butter, melted

few dashes nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Put all ingredients in an oven-to-table casserole dish; mix thoroughly.  Sprinkle top with paprika.
3. Bake covered for 30 minutes; remove cover and continue baking for another 30 minutes until golden and bubbly.                                                           

Note:  Do not double recipe in same pan.  

Serves 6-8                             

The Turnip Fields of Eastham

Below is a tale from my cookbook, the Taste and Tales of Cape Cod. 

Since the early 1800’s, the fields around Eastham have been known for their delicious white turnips.  It is said that it is the sandy soil that gives them their wonderful flavor.  These same fields also produced tasty asparagus that was known as “Eastham grass” and marketed as “Nauset” asparagus.  We might think that it was development that brought an end to these products, but no, it was the refrigerated car.  These refrigerators on wheels allowed Southern farmers to move their product to market faster.  Today, you can still buy turnips in the fall and many look forward to the “Turnip Festival” in November.

Unfortunately, I am not at the Cape when the turnip becomes available, but fortunately I met Vincent Ollivier of Dry Swamp Bog Farm in Orleans during a book signing at Snow's in Orleans.  Vince offered to send me some when it became available which was just before Thanksgiving.   He was kind enough to send it to me in Gloucester. 

Unlike other turnips, this one has a very thin skin.  For Thanksgiving dinner we peeled them, steamed and them mashed them with a milk, butter, salt, pepper and a touch of nutmeg. I wish I had thought to put either dried cranberries or chopped apples.

Turnip Pie

9-inch pie crust
3 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 cup heavy cream
15 ounces Eastham turnip, cooked and mashed

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Line a 9-inch pie plate with dough and set aside.
3. In a large bowl or blender, combine eggs, sugars, salt, and spices. Beat well. Blend in turnip. Add cream and mix well (it will look soupy).  Pour into piecrust.
4. Bake 10 minutes; then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking 40 to 45 minutes. Pie is done when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Serve at room temperature or cold, topped with whipped cream.

Serves 8                  

Geoffrey Antoine, Eastham, MA (First Encounter with a Turnip)