Salad Turnips stand apart from their autumn cousins. photo by Nancy Duran

Fall turnips have got nothing on their spring-harvested baby cousins, which are sometimes referred to as salad turnips because they are delicious eaten raw as well as roasted. These turnips are crunchy and peppery, kind of like their other cousins: radishes. To mellow that sharpness, I like to lightly roast these little guys and then serve them with those snappy raw radishes. Topped off with a sweet and sour vinaigrette, this salad hits each of the basic tastes: sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and the elusive umami (at least, I think it does).

I know there are a lot of turnip haters out there but before you take a definitive stand, give salad turnips a try. I think they just might win you over…

Serves 4

Salad
2 bunches salad (baby) turnips, trimmed and halved
2 teaspoons olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 bunch radishes (4 to 5), thinly sliced
6 cups mixed greens

Sweet Mustard Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
3 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the turnips with the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Slide the turnips onto a roasting pan. Roast for 10 minutes, until easily pierced with a paring knife.
3. While the turnips cool slightly, make the Sweet Mustard Vinaigrette: In a screw-top jar, combine all the vinaigrette ingredients and shake to combine.
4. In a large bowl, combine the radishes, mixed greens and turnips. Drizzle with about half the dressing and serve. Serve with more dressing on the side or save the dressing for the next night’s salad.

Nutritional analysis based on 4 servings (does not include salt and pepper to taste):
Calories 156, Fat 13g, Sodium 150mg, Carbohydrate 10g, Fiber 2g, Sugar 6g, Protein 2g