Introducing Japanese, or hakurei, turnips, the star of this week's recipe. These petite, white-fleshed turnips are a culinary treasure, revered for their delicate flavor and crisp texture, making them a delightful addition to any meal. These are not your grandma's turnip greens.

The two step cooking process, blanching greens and then cooking the root and greens together ensures you’re capturing all the flavor and nutrition of the plant. Hakurei turnips are a nutritional powerhouse, rich in essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin C, potassium, and calcium. Their mild flavor and tender texture make them incredibly versatile in the kitchen, allowing them to shine in a variety of dishes from salads to soups. In this simple yet elegant recipe, the turnips are sauteed to perfection with a touch of butter and a sprinkle of salt, allowing their natural sweetness to shine through. With each bite, you'll experience a burst of freshness and crunch that perfectly complements any main course. Whether you're a turnip enthusiast or a newcomer to this root vegetable, these locally source baby turnips are sure to delight your taste buds and elevate your dining experience.

sauteed hakurei turnips

prep time: 5 min
cook time: 20 min

2-4 servings

Dish ingredients

1-2 bunches hakurei baby turnips, with greens

3 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, cut greens from turnip bulbs, leaving a small portion of stem (less than 1/2 inch) attached to each bulb. Wash leafy greens and turnips well, you can eat the skin on these baby turnips. Slice each turnip pole to pole into 4 to 6 wedges of 1/2 inch thick each.

2. Add leafy greens to boiling water and cook just until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Using tongs or slotted spoon, transfer greens to cold water to chill, then drain, squeeze out excess water, and chop into small pieces.

3. Heat oil in a skillet over high heat. Add turnip wedges, season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook, stirring and tossing occasionally, until well browned in spots, about 3 minutes.

4. Add chopped greens to skillet, cooking just until greens are warmed through, about 1 minute longer. Drizzle with fresh oil, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

   
   

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