I love to cook, and I’m always in search for a good cookbook to try new recipes. I was fortunate to have the chance to talk with MasterChef: Season 1 winner and author of Modern Hospitality cookbook, Whitney Miller. Inspired by her great grandmother, Whitney loved that food spoke to people. Her great grandmother would open her house and welcome others in and enjoy a southern dish. Unfortunately, Southern dishes have a bad reputation for being heavy in fat and unhealthy. Whitney has changes this perception and loves to use an abundance amount of vegetables. Her philosophy for vegetables and children is “Don’t try to hide them.” You just need to use creativity in incorporating them into your meal plan. I have included the Turnip Green Pesto below because my kids couldn’t eat enough of this “super green” vegetable.

Ingredients

• 11 turnip greens, ribs removed
• 2 1/2 cup tablespoons walnuts, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, peeled 
• salt and ground black pepper 
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Fill a large pot halfway with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Place the turnip greens two at a time in he boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove the leaves and drain on the paper town and pat dry. Stack the leaves on top of one another. Roll into a cigar and cut crosswise into 1-inch-wide strips