By DCist contributor Jenny Holm

I tend to associate turnips and other root vegetables with the slow-roasted dishes characteristic of autumn, so I didn’t expect to come home from the market last weekend with a bunch tucked in my purse, their leaves poking out the top like the ears of a pampered puppy. To be fair, I didn’t see turnips at most vendors’ stands, but the tiny white globes on the Farm at Sunnyside’s table caught my eye.

These early, “baby” turnips are a Japanese variety called hakurei, and they’re so fresh and crisp that you really can eat them raw like radishes—you don’t even need to peel them. (Do wash them first, though!) They are sweeter and less peppery that most radishes, but can be used in similar ways: chopped into salads, grated into coleslaw, or sliced thin and tucked into buttered tea sandwiches with the crusts cut off. I like them raw, but was more interested in learning what I could cook with them.

I’m indebted to the farmer not only for the vegetables I bought from him, but also for the recipe below, the outline of which he shared with me while I was fishing for change. In this dish, the dour matron of the vegetable world reinvents herself. If you haven’t used turnip greens before (I hadn’t), you’re in for a treat: they’re spicy and slightly tart, infusing each bite with subtle heat that develops gradually. The sesame oil lends its deep, rounded flavor like a bass line under the attention-grabbing crunch of the turnip slices.

Hakurei Turnips and Greens with Sesame
Serves 4 as an appetizer or side dish

8 hakurei turnips with greens
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and black pepper
3 green onions (green parts only), chopped into half-inch chunks
Sesame seeds

Separate the turnips from their greens and wash and dry both thoroughly. Cut off both ends of the turnip bulbs (no need to peel them) and slice the bulbs into rounds about one-quarter of an inch thick. Chop the turnip greens and stems roughly into pieces about an inch long.

Heat the sesame oil in a pan until it’s very hot (drops of water sizzle upon impact). Add the turnip slices, garlic, a pinch of salt and a few generous grinds of black pepper. Stir frequently for about three minutes until turnips are slightly softened. Add turnip greens, stems and green onions. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until greens are wilted and turnip slices are crisp and tender.

Serve with sesame seeds sprinkled on top of each serving.