SCALLOPED MACOMBER TURNIPS

This sweet and delicate turnip comes from the Westport area of the South Shore where brothers Aiden and Elihu Macomber grew the hybrid. Pronounce it with the emphasis on first syllable, says Doris Mills of Noquochoke Orchards in Westport, and the B silent: MACKummer.

Makes about 8 servings.

3 pounds Macomber turnips, peeled and sliced thin
1 cup chicken stock (low-sodium)
½ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
About ½ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl mix the olive oil, chicken stock, garlic, chives, and parsley, and salt and pepper.

Peel the turnips and slice them thinly; if they are very large, cut them in halves or quarters. Drop them into the bowl as you go. Use a mandolin or food processor fitted with the slicing disc if you like. When all the turnips are sliced, shuffle the slices with your hands, coating each surface with liquid and shaking the excess back into the bowl. Spread the turnips evenly in a large shallow baking or au gratin dish, giving the top layer neat slices. Spoon some of the remaining liquid over the top, saving the rest.

Bake the turnips in the preheated oven for 1½ hours or more, moistening a few times during baking with the reserved liquid. The turnips will gradually turn brown and crisp around the edges on top and creamy soft inside as they absorb the liquid.

Recipe by Elizabeth Gawthrop Riely