Root Mania! A primer on Bellair's specialty radish and turnip offerings

You're familiar with beets and carrots, on the left. The rest of the June 2026 roots, from left to right: hakeuri salad turnips, scarlet queen turnips, "kn bravo" purple daikon and "summer cross" regular white daikon.

It’s early June, and these root crops offer an incredible variety and also bang-for-your-buck at this time of year!

Not only are the roots themselves incredibly tasty, but the greens are also in great condition and are super nutritious and edible. Remove them from your roots before storage for the longest shelf life for both parts. Radish greens especially should be cooked or fermented before eating.

One of the best things about these roots is that you can do a lot of substitutions or mixing and matching of roots when you’re in the kitchen. Be flexible and use what you have on hand. Root-rock on!

Hakeuri "Salad" Turnip: The "salad" is in the name because this Japanese specialty turnip is incredibly mild and creamy-crunchy -- perfect for salad or snacks. Leave a little of the green stalks on and slice in half or quarters to add to a hummus board or veggie platter. 

Scarlet Queen Turnip: She really is a queen. I've found this vegetable to be irresistible to people because of how beautiful it is. Even folks who "don't like turnips" have a hard time not picking her up. She's got the mildness of a hakeuri, the size and slight bite of a purple-top, and a sweetness and color all her own. I love making this one into quick pickles or shaving thin for a salad. 

Purple-Top Turnip: This turnip is your classic. It has the lowest moisture content and the strongest flavor. It's great for cooking. In particular, I love putting one turnip in with my potatoes when I make mashed potatoes for a more complex flavor and nutrition profile.

"Regular" Radishes: Our little radishes are anything but regular! We grow a variety of types to keep interest up -- French Breakfast ones, purple ones, and lots of red ones: "Rover" and "Crunchy King" are favorites. We switch varieties mid-spring to more heat tolerant ones so we can keep the goodness going as long as we can! These radishes are so versatile. I love eating radishes with abundant butter when they are in their prime. I love a quick pickle and keep some on hand for the entire radish season to make slammin' salads with ease. Plus they are an awesome snack! I've started bringing radishes AND chips on road trips for car snacking!

Daikon Radish: This monster of a Japanese-bred radish is a mainstay of many types of Asian cuisine. You may have had the pickled (sometimes dyed pink or yellow) daikon slices at Chinese dim sum places or  Korean kkakdugi, or daikon kimchi. These are both excellent preparations of this radish, but you can also use it like any other radish. We grow two different varieties: one that works for spring and one that works for fall. Try either at the other time and it won't work! 

Specialty Daikon Radishes: These stunners are like regular daikons but with a pop of color, even on the stems! We're currently growing KN Bravo, a purple one, and Red King, a red one. I think the color makes them great for pickling because the brine will tinge the white interiors as well. You can use these like any other Daikon or other radish, but get them while you can! They don't field-hold as well as some of our other radishes. 

It’s a good morning in the field when this is your first armful of vegetables!