Salad turnip salad with avocado and quinoa (Don't skip over this post!)

Sometimes it happens that I come across something so great that I feel guilty for every second that I don't share it here. So it was with this salad, which uses salad turnips, cucumber, cilantro, lemon, and red onion. The original recipe (written originally for spring radishes) came from a blog post by a Food Corps member. Her enthusiasm about this dish  is palpable in the blog post and completely warranted; it is hands-down the best way I have prepared salad turnips to-date and one of the best things I have cooked  in a while. 

The amount of red onion in here is alarming, but necessary to balance out (overpower?) the mustard-y flavor of the salad turnips. Be sure you chop everything very small so it can marinate in the lemon juice. 

Striving to turn the dish into a meal I combined it with avocado and quinoa and topped it with an egg in the vein of Sleepy Bee Cafe's wonderful Warm Quinoa Bowl. I am thinking about serving this for a bbq by combining the salad with the avocado and quinoa ahead as more of a grain salad. The salad would also be good eaten with tortilla chips, like a salsa. 

By the way, if you are looking for more ideas on how to use radishes and salad turnips check out this daikon cake (parts 1 and 2) and radish kimchi from last year (both projects) as well as this kimchi noodle bowl. There's always pizza crust (just sub in whatever)!

Salad turnip salad with avocado and quinoa 
Adapted from here
Makes about 3-4 bowls (though you may need to make more quinoa)
Ingredients

• 2 cups finely chopped  peeled salad turnips (about 4)
• 1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeds removed, finely chopped
• 1/2 medium red onion, diced
• 2 tbsp. (or more to taste) cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1-2 tbsp. lemon juice
• Salt
• Ground black pepper
• For the "bowl" 
• 1/2 cup quinoa
• 1 avocado, chopped 
• Optional eggs for each bowl cooked over-easy or over-medium (or however you prefer), ideally cooked in bacon fat

Directions

Cook the quinoa. Rinse it well in a colander and combine it with 1 cup water and some salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to stand for about 10 minutes. Uncover and allow to cool slightly before serving. 

Prepare the salad. Combine the onion and garlic with the lemon juice in a medium bowl. Toss frequently, allowing the lemon juice to mellow out the onion and garlic while you prepare the other ingredients. Add the salad turnips, cucumber, and cilantro. Add a few grinds of black pepper and a few shakes/grinds of salt. Toss. Eat right away or allow to marinate at room temperature or in the fridge.

Combine the salad with some quinoa and avocado in a bowl. Top with an egg. Sprinkle the whole dish with a little extra salt.