For a pretty underused vegetable, the humble swede goes by a surprising number of names: rutabaga, Swedish turnip or in Scotland and parts of northern England it is confusingly known as neeps or turnip (not to be confused with the smaller, white turnip which looks and tastes quite different). It is a root vegetable, in season from October to February in the UK. Swede is a great source of vitamin C in particular, and makes a good alternative to potatoes if you’re on a low-carb diet as they are low in carbohydrates, unlike a lot of other root vegetables.
Before pumpkins were readily available in the UK, swedes were often carved into a threatening face at Halloween and left in windows of homes and shops to ward off evil spirits. They've developed a bit of a reputation for being bland, bitter and just generally uninteresting, but that couldn't be further from the truth – with the right know-how and recipe, swede can be a beautiful side dish to a Sunday roast or even the star of the show.
