It's probably better known in the US as rutabaga.

Cooking and home economics seems to have become a lost art today despite the prevalence of many a cookery show on the TV, which many folks seem to watch avidly or is the phenomenon just more vicarious thrills.

The lost art of cooking

Out of interest is home economics and practical cooking skills still taught in schools today or has this been dropped for other subjects in the curriculum. Budgeting for and preparing 3 square meals a day with limited finances may become an important skill in the next decade of austerity together with supplementing food resources with some hunting and gathering. Storing and consuming MREs and cans of Mountain House isn't really realistic and it is very expensive and after a few days and weeks rather unpalatable in the medium to long term.