Turnip

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Makes use of the microwave oven.

For centuries, the French have been braising duck as a way to tenderize it, whether the duck was wild or tame (use only farm-raised duck in the recipe below). The slight bitterness of turnips nicely offsets the flavorful meat rich but simple sauce. The appropriate wine choice here would be French-splurge a bit for the season and pour a good Burgundy or Chablis with this.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Great with just about any main dish.

Purchase a roasted turkey leg or whole chicken at your market. This is also a great use for leftover turkey.

When making the following dish, start one or two days ahead to allow time for marinating the pheasant and making stock. The extra time involved, much of it unattended, is necessary to develop the rich flavors of this savory pie. For those who want to forgo the pheasant, the pie would also be delicious (and less time-consuming) made with chicken. Substitute 1 pound chicken thighs, 1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, and chicken broth; marinate the chicken and prepare the pie in the manner outlined below.

The following tsimmes with beets, turnips, carrots, and meat came from Vilna to Brooklyn earlier in this century. When I make this for my family I do not tell the children that it includes beets and turnips. For some unknown reason they never ask me how the dish became so red. They love it.

Turnip plants were brought to America by early French and English settlers.

Glazed turnips make a nice side dish for roasted meats or poultry. Active time: 20 min Start to finish: 35 min

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

These savory pastry packages are a fitting presentation for Oscar night - plus they're perfect with the ham. This recipe makes few extras for second helpings.

Turnips stand in for the usual potatoes, giving this gratin a rich, hearty taste.

Active time: 1 1/2 hr Start to finish: 3 1/2 hr This recipe, which accompanied our 1954 article on Tunisia, called for what were then two very exotic ingredients. One, the granular pasta called couscous, is now commonplace in supermarkets across America. The other, dried rose petals, is available by mail order.

If you trim and blanch the green beans and turnips one day ahead of time, this dish will come together in just minutes.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.