Christmas Eve turnip salad

We had dinner with a few friends on Christmas Eve. Among other things, I made a salad with small turnips. I was excited about these when Alvin dropped them off to me among other CSA goodies - I had some once before and roasted them, which was the wrong thing to do - I realised after doing it that I should have followed my gut and made salad. This latest lot were beauties: white and perfectly smooth, with lovely, green, healthy leaves. The leaves tasted lovely - slightly peppery, less so than rocket, quite similar to mizuna, also in texture (quite juicy and big, not tough in the slightest). (NB I thought the cinnamon and cranberries made it Christmassy?).

1 bunch of small (~ping pong ball sized) turnips, greens and roots separated, trimmed, washed and dried
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
salt+pepper
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
handful pumpkin seeds, toasted
handful dried cranberries
petals of 3 agamous marigold flowers

Scrape the turnip roots if they need it, then slice them thinly. Put in a serving bowl with the lime, vinegar, oil, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt and pepper, toss and leave while you prep the rest of the stuff. Roughly chop the turnip leaves. Right before serving, add the pumpkin seeds, cranberries, turnip leaves and marigold petals to the turnip root mixture and toss.


This was prob the best thing I made. Really into the turnip leaves and roots: both are lovely and softly peppery / crisp. And the marigolds were probably the last thing I'll harvest from the balcony this year.