( E E E G F# E, D E  )

That’s right. You can’t keep a good brassica down and this week, for the first and cutest time, we have baby turnips. Nothing pallid or premature about them, like everybody else, they are what they are (and they are good).

Like your grandmother said, the best way to have a new vegetable is with lots of butter and garlic. But you knew that already, so we’ll work on a spicy yogurt rub,  useful for simmering steamed vegetables as well as marinating items in anticipation of the grill –

1 big onion
1 big tomato
1/2 head (not clove, but head) of garlic
1 thumb of peeled ginger
2 spicy chiles (with discretion and indigestion in mind)
1/2 cup of yogurt
salt

Blend everything together. While you are blending, have Vanna pick out a small saucepan with high walls – we want to have 1/4 inch of oil in the pan, without using a whole jar of oil. There needs to be some height to avoid burning the blended goodness.

Heat the oil. When you have a smooth pink lovely affair, wave your hand over the oil to make sure it’s hot. Pour in the mixture and fry it. You will smell the spices browning and watching the water sizzle away. At this point you could add small spoons of

clove, cinnamon, cumin, coriander, turmeric, red chile powder, black pepper

For a quick trip to India Lane. But you don’t have to. I might finely chop some dill or basil and just use that instead. Of all the spices, though, the turmeric has a huge and beautiful affect on the color. And we all know how much humans like color.

When you sauce has thickened, you can either turn off the heat and brush it onto some dead vegetables or animals, or turn down the heat and add your steamed turnip halves and turnip greens

In the second case, cook the sauce with the vegetables for a couple minutes to infuse the flavor. Test for salt. Finely chopped cilantro makes a great garnish, but, if you’re throwing one of those fashionable “blind dinner parties” is totally superfluous.