Isn't 'neeps' just the Scottish name for turnips? EDIT: You got me thinking, so I asked my half Scottish wife. She just looked confused for a moment before answering 'turnips, I think'. So I googled it, and found this interesting article which makes it as clear as mud http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2010/jan/25/neeps-swede-or-turnip
To complicate things further, neaps are the fortnighly tides where there is hardly any difference between high & low tide.
Thanks Clueless1 and Ziggy, As you said it makes it as clear as mud. When I was in Scotland neeps was/were on the menu in restaurants. It actually looked to me like mashed, possibly turnips and carrots or swede, it had a mixed light and dark colouring, which is why I thought it may have a recipe. I have had mashed carrots and swede together but it didn't taste the same. It seems we're none the wiser!
I suspect the missing ingredient when you tried to recreate it might have been black pepper. Also, my wife's granny, who is Scottish, doesn't simply boil the root veg before mashing it. She cuts it very fine, shallow fries it for a few minutes just until it starts to go soft. Then it is boiled for a short time just to soften any bits the frying phased missed, then mashed or blended. The black pepper goes in at the very early stages, I'm not sure if it is at the frying stage or if it is in the boiling stage, but it definitely boils with the black pepper as opposed to the pepper being added at the end. The result is a creamy mash with a warming taste. Totally different to when you just boil the veg, mash it and add pepper at the end. I've never heard her call it 'neeps' though, so I'm not sure if that's what you're looking for.
Neeps (SCOTTISH) are the large purple skinned Turnips (English) with orangey flesh Not Swedes the small white thingys You boil your Neeps like potatoes but chopped up in one inch squares when boiled enough like potatoes you mash them up with butter Serve them with your Haggis and mashed tatty Delicious Jack McH ( LAST NIGHT ON THE FORUMS)
Jack, please don't leave Gardeners Corner. Yes, the cat thread may have upset you, but this isn't the first time a thread has got out of hand. We're given a talking to by our administrators and everything calms down and gets back to normal. You've not been with us long and you are still most welcome, please stay!
