Vegetables by 40 Great French Chefs

My second book from Ann, takes us from down home to up town. Vegetables by 40 Great French Chefs by Patrick and Lyndsay Mikanowski is a work of art. The Mikanowski's followed Joël Thiébault, one of the last old time truck farmers left in France. In any year, Thiébault will grow as many as 1600 varieties of vegetables and herbs. It is no wonder chefs love him.

Forty chefs gathered their recipes and Thiébault's vegetables to make this stunning book. The recipes run the gamut from the simple to the sublime. As usual, I'm going to share my favorite with you. I haven't made these yet, but by next week, they will be a familiar sight in my kitchen. Here is Eric Frechon's recipe for purple top turnips!

Turnips

1 cup superfine sugar
5 tablespoons water
zest 1 lemon
2 large purple top turnips
1 scant cup of butter
1 teaspoon honey
4 1/2 cups orange juice
1 3/4 ounces ginger
1 sprig rosemary

1. Make a syrup by combining the sugar and water; and bring to a boil. Add the lemon zest and cook, covered, on low heat for about 40 minutes. Drain, dry the lemon zests, then chop finely. Reserve.

2. Peel and slice the turnips, then use a round cookie cutter about 2 in. in diameter to cut out rounds. Fry the rounds in butter. Add the honey, deglaze with orange juice, can cook till softened.

3. Grate the ginger and chop the rosemary leaves. Sprinkle the turnips with the lemon zest, grated ginger; and chopped rosemary.

Yeah, baby. I'm having a Happy Happy Birthday.