Slow-Cooker Ham with Turnips and Apples

This sounded like the perfect cold weather meal, so I thought I would give it a try. Our youngest had also just read the Russian folk tale “The Turnip” in class, so I thought it was fitting since he had never actually seen a turnip before.

Ingredients:
2 Granny Smith apples, diced (with skin)
3 cloves garlic, smashed
4 sprigs thyme
8 large sprigs parsley
1 tablespoon pickling spice
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 4-to-5-pound smoked picnic ham (pork shoulder)
1 pound medium turnips, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cups dry white wine
1 pound frozen chopped winter greens (such as turnip greens, kale or spinach), thawed

Instructions:
Put the apples, garlic, thyme, parsley, pickling spice and brown sugar in a 5-to-6-quart slow cooker. Add the ham and surround it with the turnips. Pour in the wine and 2 cups water. Cover and cook on low, 7 hours.

Remove the ham from the slow cooker. Add the greens to the cooker and stir to combine with the liquid. Return the ham to the cooker, cover and cook on high 30 minutes.

Slice the ham and serve with the turnips, apples and greens.

What did the family think? This was not as good as I had hoped, but I didn’t buy the right kind of meat. Ugh! (This isn’t the first time I’ve messed up a pork dish by buying the wrong cut of meat.) I don’t think I have EVER cooked a turnip in my life, but I found that the ones that I had cut up the smallest were cooked just right, but the larger chunks weren’t as tasty. So, make sure you cute them up into fairly small chunks. Hubby liked it, but wasn’t too fond of the turnips. The kids actually ate the pork, but steered clear of the turnips.

from Food Network

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