Hakurei a tender turn on turnips

They look more like little white radishes than those bulbous purple-topped turnips common in Southern cooking.

But Japanese turnips – mild, tender, crisp and resembling golf balls in size, shape and color – are more delicately flavored.

This makes them good raw or roasted, sautéed or slivered and served atop salads, open-face sandwiches and tacos.

Neither spicy nor bitter, Hakurei turnips are often pickled in Japan. Added to the tail-end of a stir-fry, they provide a satisfying crunch, much like a water chestnut. Cody Miles, the 17-year-old volunteer farmer I talked to at the Project Hope Spokane stall at a recent Kendall Yards Night Market, said he likes them roasted with butter and Parmesan. (Who wouldn’t?)

Here are a few more ideas for what to do with these versatile vegetables.

Quick Pickled Hakurei Turnips

Adapted from www.eatingwell.com

1 bunch Hakurei turnips (about 12 ounces), peeled and very thinly sliced

1/2 cup quartered and thinly sliced red onion

3 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

1 cup white wine vinegar

1 cup hot water

1 tablespoon sugar

10 whole black peppercorns

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

Layer turnips, onion and garlic in a quart jar (or similar 4-cup container) with a lid.

Whisk vinegar, hot water, sugar, peppercorns, salt and crushed red pepper (if using) in a medium bowl until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Pour the mixture over the vegetables. Put the lid on and gently shake a few times to distribute the flavorings. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to develop.

Sauteed Hakurei Turnips and Greens

From AtlantaMagazine.com

2 bunches Hakurei turnips with greens

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

Coarse salt to taste

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Trim stems and root ends from turnips. Rinse and cut into ½-inch cubes. Set aside. Trim most of the stems from the greens; discard. Wash the leafy greens, drain, and cut into 2- to 3-inch pieces. Set aside.

In a saute pan over high heat, melt the butter with the oil. Add the turnips, season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook without stirring for 2 minutes, until lightly browned on 1 side. Turn and cook on another side for 2 more minutes, without stirring, until lightly browned. Turn again and cook 1 more minute. Add the greens and cook, stirring, until wilted and bright green, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Yield: 4 servings

Hakurei Turnip Gratin

Adapted from www.foodnetwork.com

2 cups heavy cream

3 cloves garlic, smashed

1 bundle thyme

Pinch of cayenne

Pinch of nutmeg

Kosher salt

1/2 stick butter, plus extra for baking dish

2 pounds Hakurei turnips, peeled and sliced very thin (a mandoline works best)

1 1/2 cups grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Put the cream, garlic, thyme, cayenne and nutmeg in a saucepan and season it with salt, to taste. Bring the cream to a boil, then turn off the heat. Let the mixture steep for 15 to 20 minutes.

Butter the baking dish and layer in 1/3 of the sliced turnips. Sprinkle 1/3 of the grated cheese over the turnips and dot with 1/3 of the butter. Remove the thyme and garlic from the cream and pour 1/3 of the cream over the turnips. Repeat this process 2 more times until all of the ingredients are used.

Cover the dish with foil, place on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 15 minutes, or until top is golden-brown. When done a fork should slide in and out of the center of the dish easily.

Let the dish rest about 10 minutes before serving.