TheGreenTurnip Score: 7

Spare feast! A radish and an egg. ~William Cowper, British poet

This salad is no spare feast. 

My favorite part is having slices of whole fresh lemon, cooked along with the gobo and radishes. After being sautéed, the sharp acidity of the lemon is lost. Instead, it tastes light and refreshing thanks to the rind and burst of lemon juice.

Day after day, this salad keeps its fresh, bright flavor. It is a welcome addition to any Make Now & Eat Later lunchbox. Even as I am writing this, I am wondering if I should revise its score to an “8.” It’s that good!

I substituted American radishes for the Japanese turnips originally called for in this recipe. You might also try American turnips cut into small chunks. My top recommendation is to use Japanese turnips (if you can find them). The sweetness of the turnips beautifully balances the earthiness of the gobo root.

Bunches of fresh Japanese turnips at my local farmer’s market!

There are actually quite a few different Japanese turnips. In the United States I mostly see the small white variety, often labeled “harukei turnips” or simply “Japanese turnips.”

My vegetable sommelier textbook offers a geographic guide to the varieties and shapes of Japanese turnips. So many different colors and shapes and sizes of  Japanese turnips!

The recipe also calls for gobo, the root of the Japanese burdock plant. It looks like a brown carrot, except much much longer (up to 3-4 feet)! The white flesh tastes crisp and earthy. You can find it at Japanese or some Asian grocery stores.

This recipe makes enough for a week’s worth of small portions for 1 person (about 10 small portions). If you have it, adding parsley or cilantro would give a nice pop of green!

Ingredients

Turnips, 1-2 bunches (or radishes)

Gobo, 1 stalk

Lemon, 1

Butter, 1 tablespoon

Vegetable Oil, 1 teaspoon

Salt, 1/3 teaspoon

Soy Sauce, a splash

Pepper, to taste

1. Cut the leaves from the radishes, leaving a short stem at the top, and then cut the radishes in half. Cut the gobo into 1/8 inch slices on a sharp diagonal and submerge in a bowl of water. Cut the lemon in half lengthwise and then cut into ¼ inch half moon shaped slices.

Leave a short stem on the top of the turnips (or radishes).

2. Melt the butter with the oil in a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the radishes, gobo, and lemon. Cook stirring for 2-3 minutes, until the gobo cooks through and the radishes begin to brown. Add the salt, soy sauce, pepper. Stir quickly to combine and remove from heat. Let cool. Cover and store.

Adapted from “かぶとごぼうのレモンソテーサラダ” from “作りおきサラダ.”

Want to learn more about simple, Japanese-inspired weekly meal prep? Read “What is Make Now & Eat Later”…

Come back on Monday! New recipes posted here every week.