Turnips are usually prepared in potato-like ways -- boiled and mashed, creamed, roasted whole, gratinée -- but these small, red-on-the-outside "salad turnips," currently wrapping up their local season, are tender enough to enjoy uncooked, with a mild bite similar to a cabbage heart. Peeled and sliced, the white interior features a rosy starburst inside (see photo below). It's a Spirograph vegetable!
The color and crunch make raw salad turnips a great component in a savory salad. The cute little slices can also be steamed or sautéed (however you cook them, the flavor will mellow to a moist, soothing summer-squashiness). And if you're a fan of Terra Chips, you might see those pretty magenta stripes and think about frying the turnip fragments up crispy with a dusting of salt, pepper, and thyme. They'll look like bar snacks for Hobbits, and they'll taste pretty good, too.
Maya's Farm vends produce at the Downtown Phoenix and Old Town Scottsdale farmers' markets. Farmer Maya Dailey will also be co-presenting at the "Cultivate. Feast. Heal." healthy dinner event on Monday evening, May 4, along with Sapna Cafe chef Ana Borrajo and naturopath Dr. Kim.