I bought a bunch on Sat at the FM, and have a kid convinced he doesn’t like them. What’s your best recipe to convert someone? I’m thinking either roasted or steamed in broth then butter basted. Something to make them soft and sweet.
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How about salad turnip potato balls?
Grate your salad turnips, incorporate into mashed potatoes, and mix thoroughly with some bacon.
Make an egg dip, and then form little balls with your turnip/potato/bacon mixture, roll the balls in the egg dip, then in some Panko breadcrumbs, then pop them into an air fryer at 375-400F for about 5-7 minutes, until golden brown.
Serve with some honey mustard dipping sauce.
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Dang that is complicated. Also I can’t imagine these would actually taste anything like turnips.
That’s the point. 
Sorry, I’ll go away now.
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I appreciate that, but winning someone over in my book doesn’t equate to hiding things. I want him to change his mind and realize he does like them. He has very little experience with them, and for some reason equated them to parsnips, which I think have a much stronger flavor.
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Whatever you do, do a room temp beet. cold beets are not good. at least in salads.
Do they like salads?
We do steamed beets, hard boiled eggs (6-7 minutes eggs), small potatoes with a creamy dressing. Thousand Island is my preference.
Maybe some red onion or tomatoes. On greens of some sort, bibb or iceberg lettuce. i really like arugula, but not everyone does.
(now I want beets!)
Baby radishes are good chilled with good butter and salt and salad turnips seem similar to me - maybe worth a taste?
Otherwise agree on lightly cooking with butter.
If they were larger, I’d have suggested turnip latkes, but with little ones that’s a waste.
They may still taste like turnips, but with a panko crust and anointed in hot oil their texture could be out of this world. I’m salivating at the thought of them. Then again, I deeply feel that you can improve almost any food by bathing it in hot oil first.
I’ve never breaded and fried a hard veg before and am having a difficult time imagining how long they’d cook before softening, and whether the crumbs would burn in that time. I don’t have a fryer or air fryer.
And I’m confused why are we talking about beets? It’s turnip preps I’m after.
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I’m Korean, so my instinct with turnips/radishes/and their ilk is to pickle them. If your kid likes rich meaty dishes, a side of these will nicely cut through the richness. We love them as accompaniment to salmon, much like a Japanese cucumber salad.
ETA: Those harukei turnips can sometimes be spicy. Which might turn your kid off. Proceed with caution!
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Ah…I so read that as beets…never mind!
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My dad spent WW2 in Japan and was violently opposed to turnips. Like he went ballistic when I tried to cook them. Only time I succeeded was something along these lines - make into fritters with mashed potatoes, lots of herbs, meat or cheese for flavor
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Can we call this the former Mrs Seinfeld camp? My feeling is that if someone needs a food masked that much, then they don’t really need to eat it. But ymmv.
Your on your own kiddo . I was brought up eat everything on your plate or you don’t eat . I did . It made me a very non picky eater .
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Roasting makes sense if you want them soft and sweet. Roast with vegetables the kid likes and finish with a vinaigrette with flavors he likes. My understanding of these types of turnips is that they are best eaten raw or lightly cooked. Maybe a slaw would be a good way to introduce them. Mixded with other veg of his liking. Unless we are talking about a goat in which case I would just hand it the bunch. I kid.
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Understood, but I don’t mind - since I enjoy cooking - playing around with an ingredient to see if I can make it more pleasing for someone. Especially someone that has minimal experience with it.
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But steaming in broth and then basting in butter does indeed mask the quiddity of salad turnips. Or, really, any vegetable.
If you really wanted your kids to experience the essence of salad turnips then a simply tossed salad of julienned salad turnips with a light rice wine vinegar, minced garlic, salt and pepper dressing would do the trick.
Or just roasting them in salt and pepper.
Peel, chop, toss with oil and white balsamic vinegar, roast at 375 or 400 F until soft. I do this with radishes, as well.
Both sound tasty.
I have sold many a vegetable to my nephew with blue cheese dressing.
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