Turnips

Last year was my first experience growing turnips. We planted Purple Top White Globe, a standard American variety. They grew quickly and the greens were beautiful, tasty and nutritious. Sadly, I didn't like the actual turnips.

In a quest for a turnip I could (willingly) sink my teeth into, I discovered that there are two turnip types: cooking and salad. Purple-tops are the cooking type. Though they could be eaten raw when small, these turnips are meant for the cooking pot.

We replanted Purple Tops this spring and they're growing furiously. The small mustard-like leaves harvested in today's thinning provided a spicy salad garnish to accompany our bumper crop of lettuce. For variety, we will also be planting a green-top from Britain called Manchester Market.

I talked to quite a few parents and children over the two-and-a-half hours I was there today. I gave out veggie school cards, for which I noted quite a bit of interest.

People seemed especially impressed with the broccoli and cauliflower, and I even had some radish backers when I complained of our excess. What do we think of pickled radish?

Or pole beans? We've some extra seeds. I am thinking we could plant a few in a corner and put in a bamboo for it to climb to the sky.

When we pull the radishes, how about if we replace them with turnips? They grow fast and are very good when early.