Steamed Tokyo Turnips

Preparation

1. Tokyo turnips are a beautiful all-white variety that are sweet tasting and mildly spicy. When harvested young, about 1 inch in diameter, the smooth skins are thin and delicate and don’t need to be peeled. At that stage, the greens are tender and small, and both turnips and greens are good for steaming. If the greens and turnips are in pristine condition, they are very good steamed whole with the greens attached. Otherwise, separate the turnips and greens, leaving an inch or so of the pale green stalks at the top of the turnips. Rinse the turnips well to remove any grit in the stalks, and leave them whole or cut into halves or quarters. Wash the greens and discard any yellow or damaged leaves. Place a steamer basket in a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, pour in water to a depth of half an inch or so, and heat the water to boiling. Add the turnips and greens to the basket, cover the pan, and cook until just tender, 5 to 8 minutes, depending on their size. They are delicious eaten with nothing more than a little salt and butter or a drizzle of olive oil, or with a dash of vinegar or soy sauce, or a squeeze of lemon juice.