After recently making a public declaration of our newfound love of roasted Brussels sprouts, I decided I should branch out and try new vegetables I've either never tasted or never prepared myself. Thanks to a reader's suggestion, turnips were next on my list. 

Surprisingly, they were very easy to find at my local grocery store and they were very reasonably priced. (Only $1.39/lb. if I remember correctly.) So after snagging four purple-tipped turnips, I was happily on my way home to try them out. 

I did a little online research to find a recipe that was healthy, simple, and contained few (but already on hand) ingredients. I landed on a recipe that called for roasting them in a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Sounds easy enough, right? 

I got to work by first peeling the four turnips.

At this point, I opted to taste a small piece of raw turnip. It reminded me a lot of a radish actually even though they look just like peeled potatoes. Then, following the recipe, I cut them into small 1" size pieces.

I then combined 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar in a large bowl.

After mixing thoroughly, I gently tossed the cut turnips with the oil and vinegar mixture.  

Next, I spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet. I baked them at 450 degrees for 35 minutes, flipping them once midway through cooking...and voila. They turned a lovely caramelized shade of brown loveliness just begging to be eaten.

But that may be where the fun ends kids. (Insert the whomp, whomp sound here.) Roasted turnips fell a little flat in my book. In fact, they tasted a little bit like feet that have spent the last several hours in a sweaty tennis shoe (or what I imagine that would taste like). Maybe it was the preparation of the parsnips, a bad batch, or just a personal aversion. Lulu oddly enough really enjoyed the few raw pieces I fed to her.

Worry not. I'm still have a strong resolve to continue on in my quest to discover new and tasty roasted vegetables. Up next? Parsnips.

What's your take on turnips? Dee-lish or dee-sgusting? Any other vegetables you're experimenting with this winter? Something else you think is worth trying out? Or maybe you have a bang up recipe for turnips I should try before totally dismissing them?

Oh, and in case you're wondering, yes I really did just take a photo of my own unattractive foot to post for the world to see. But trust me when I say you should be thanking me for not making Alex the foot model of Old Town Home. Alien toes. Seriously, the kid has toes that look like fingers.