Planting for Fall and Harvesting Hakurei Turnips
October 14th, 2021
We braved the rain yesterday to get four of our beds transplanted. We planted a mix of veggies, herbs, and flowers for fall. Here are the veggies we planted: Napa cabbage, Minuet Chinese cabbage, Merlot cabbage, Red Giant mustard greens, Green Wave mustard greens, Wasabina mustard greens, lettuce, and fennel. We also planted Thai basil, marigolds, and zinnias. Our goal for the fall is to not only grow delicious veggies and herbs for you but to be able to offer beautiful seasonal flower bouquets as well!
One of our favorite root veggies just made its way back into season: Hakurei turnips! The Hakurei turnip is a quick grower, taking just over a month to reach maturity after germination. Often referred to as a “salad turnip”, Hakureis can be eaten raw as well as cooked. They have a crisp yet tender texture with a flavor that is mild compared to other turnips. The flavor of a Hakurei is sweet and almost fruity, especially when eaten raw. If you’re craving something warm, you can easily add these turnips to soups or stews, or create an easy side dish by roasting them or braising them.
In addition to Hakurei turnips, yellow crookneck squash just made its way back into season as well. This great thing about this tender and sweet summer squash is that it can be used in both sweet and savory recipes! Try shredding it up and using it in place of zucchini in a warmly spiced zucchini bread recipe or in a batch of fritters spiced with curry powder and topped with a dollop of tangy yogurt. You’ll be able to pick yellow crookneck squash and Hakurei turnips at our next farm stand on Saturday from 10am-noon. We hope to see you there!
