Hakurei Turnips

I've decided that I'm going to do a little bit of research about each of the veggies that we get from the CSA which we've never had before. This way, I can share this knowledge with all of you!

My plan is to also post photos and recipes that we've tried, as well as other ideas we've considered. (Unless otherwise stated, all photos that appear on the blog are ones I've taken! One of my personal goals is to improve my food photography skills between now and the end of this experience...)

Oh, and last but not least, we're going to give our ratings of the dishes we make!

First vegetable up, hakurei turnips...

This white "salad turnip" sets the standard for flavor. The flat-round, smooth white roots mature early, just after radishes, and are best harvested young, up to 2" diam. The flavor is great raw - sweet and fruity - and the texture is crisp and tender. The dark green hairless tops are useful raw or lightly cooked with the roots. Compared with other early white turnips, Hakurei tastes better and stays smoother as it sizes. (Source: Johnny's Selected Seeds)

Best known for its excellent flavor, this Japanese turnip produces uniform globe-shaped roots with snow-white skin and a crisp texture. The smooth dark green tops are mild enough to eat fresh out of the garden along with the roots. Hakurei plants tolerate cold temperatures, and the fruit matures early. The Hakurei’s mild and sweet flavor makes it a favorite salad ingredient. The nutritious tops can go right into the salad as well, or lightly sauté both together and enjoy them that way. (Source: Kitazawa Seed Co.)

Our impressions:

- The raw turnip was crunchy (but still softer than a raw potato) and just a little bit sweet. It tasted sort of like horseradish but without the sting (which is good because I HATE horseradish!)
- Cooking the turnip intensified this slightly sweet flavor, and gave it an even better texture. It almost melted in your mouth just a little...
- Overall, we really liked these turnips - I have no doubt that we will seek them out in the future!

My next post will have the recipe we tried tonight... stay tuned!