A Low Carbing Black Woman Revisits Turnips...

Turnips are a great Low Carb food.

However they elicit a response from me-- that is almost visceral.

Why?

When I was a very little girl, I knew this very old Lady-- her mother had actually been a slave-- she was about six years old when she was freed. Some of the slaves were not freed at the time of the Emancipation Proclamation-- because they could not read, and *some* of the slave owners did not enlighten their slaves about the situation.... regardless... I got a great recipe out of this.. and the fact that this is a recipe from my past-- from someone I knew-- who went through the experiences she did...makes it even more meaningful. My grandmother let This wonderful Older Lady live on our property in Mounds, Illinois, until she died.

Anyway-- this lady was nearly a hundred years old when I knew her-- and I was about five or six, myself. She made the best Turnips I've ever had in my life. Lots of butter. Pepper, and salt and garlic and onion. And that was it. She stewed them ...forever and a day... but they were GOOD.

And she lived a long, long time. That should tell you something. Think about what she lived through. This should tell you something. Low Carb is GOOD for you.

One of the things I remember that she did was to put fatback in the pan and get it browned before adding the turnips and the water. And I think she might of soaked the turnips in salt water for about an hour before she cooked them. Maybe half an hour.

**; also Mr. Rabbitt, who drove me on the bus to the little schoolhouse in Mounds where my Grandma taught..to Mr and Mrs. Schurlock who lived down the hill, and my very first friends--Maria and Jan.

I miss you all, very much.
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