Turnips (Japanese)
Turnips are one of those vegetables that I tend to forget about and frankly, I shouldn’t. Turnips are produced both for the root and for the greens, as both are equally as delicious. They enjoy cooler weather which means they can be found both in spring and fall. The variety pictured above is actually a hakurei turnip and other turnips varieties make be more of a pinkish color. The hakurei turnip is really one of the earliest turnips and while it stills has an earthy taste, but they can still have a bite.
When I get turnips, I treat it as two separate items. The greens are great cooked and resemble somewhat of a mustard green. I love tossing the greens in with a rice pilaf or pasta dish. As for the root, I have a small weakness for roasted root vegetables and purees. To store, cut off the greens, leaving a slight tail and store in a root cellar or if like me, in the refrigerator for a bit. I always place turnips in some sort of container because they tend to have a slightly stronger odor than most produce.
My Recipes with Turnips (I’m a slight delinquent in this department):
Recipes from around the Web:
- Turnip Green Tart from 101 Cookbooks
- Smashed Turnips with Crispy Shallots from Two Blue Lemons
- Turnip and Potato Patties from Simply Recipes
- Turnip Green Dip from Never Enough Thyme
- Turnip Soup from Pitchfork Diaries
