Many years ago I grew white salad turnips, sown in January and February, in a cold frame and they were delicious with that slightly peppery flavour.
Grated together with Early Nantes Carrots, that had been sown at the same time, into a cole-slaw with a home made mayonnaise, these two magical ingredients provided a fresh, healthy salad to go alongside pickled onions and some cold ham – my mouth is watering just thinking about it.
They can also be thinly sliced and used in stir fries or can be used as a steamed vegetable.
As an additional benefit, you can harvest the top growth and use it as a substitute for spring greens.
So, if you have a cold glasshouse or a cold frame with a soil border, or a piece of your garden covered with a good cloche, treat yourself to a packet of seeds, dig in plenty of well-rotted manure, apply a balanced high nitrogen fertiliser and sow a few short rows today and two or three more in a few weeks time.
Cultivars to search out include: Oasis, Snowball, Primera, Ivory, Golden Ball, Green Top Stone, Milan Purple Top, Scarlet Queen, Tokyo Cross, Aramis and Petrowski.
Harvesting can begin as soon as the turnips reach the size of a table tennis ball and will continue for weeks.
