Japanese Pickled Turnips

They look benign, but these have SO much flavor.

In our previous CSA, we were allowed to list three items that we never wanted to get, and turnips were at the top of my list. Then we switched CSA's, and our FIRST WEEK with the new one, guess what was in there?

Since pickling has worked well for other less-desired CSA items (radishes and beets, I'm looking at you), I searched to see is pickled turnips were a thing. And I found this Momofuku turnip pickle recipe, which gave me an excuse to use the kombu in our pantry.

I followed the recipe exactly, even though it seemed like too much sugar. And yes, they are sweet, but in a good way! They packed great punch on an asian-themed salad, and I plan to put them into our tofu bibimbap bowls this week, especially since we ran out of kimchi. The original recipe says that at Momofuku, they serve these as a snack, but I don't think I'd snack on these without something bland for balance.

The Recipe: (from Momofuku)

1 lb turnips, peeled and sliced paper-thin

2 pieces kombu (4x2 inches each)

1 c rice vinegar

1 c sugar

1 c water

2 tb kosher salt

Place turnip slices and kombu into a quart-sized jar
In a small pan, heat the remaining ingredients, whisking to dissolve the sugar, until almost boiling.
Pour the hot liquid into the jar, leaving 1/4 inch of room at the top.
Allow the jar to cool uncovered for one hour.
Cover and refrigerate for at least a day. Can be stored for up to two months.

The Verdict:

Overall grade: A

Overall reason: It turned something I don't like into something I'm actually excited about

Time to prepare: 15 minutes

Husband quote: "Is it crunchy?" (He was disappointed that the answer was no, and still has yet to taste them.)

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