In September we were part of the Climate Week Cook Off hosted by Urban Green Lab. Along with chefs from 1 Kitchen and The Nashville Food Project, we were challenged to create a zero-waste recipe with turnips. Lucky me, as turnips are one of my favorite root vegetables—particularly the bitter, spicy greens that crown them. In this dish, I used a varietal of Japanese turnip, called Hakurei, which has become very popular here as it grows well. It's a smaller, golf ball–sized turnip that's milder than its better-known cousin. This dish celebrates Deep South flavors, while introducing some Japanese elements. By the way, we won.

1. In a large pot, sauté bacon until fat has rendered. Separately, whisk together Hon Dashi powder and water, then add to pot. Simmer 15 minutes. Remove from heat, whisk in miso paste.

2. Trim root of turnips and discard. Trim greens while leaving a little stem on the turnip for presentation. Wash and chop greens and set aside.

3. In a baking dish, stand the turnips up and pour some of the bacon dashi over the top until covered. Wrap with foil and bake at 375F for 15–20 minutes or until turnips are fork tender, flipping turnips halfway through. Reserve remaining bacon dashi.

4. To prepare greens, add vinegar, sambal, garlic, soy and sugar to a food processor and blend until smooth. Add to a pot and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and pour over chopped greens. Marinate for at least an hour or up to a few days.

5. Once turnips are cool to the touch, use a dish towel to remove the skins as you would with a beet.

6. Combine the nori, sesame seeds and crispy chopped bacon to make the furikake.

7. To serve: Arrange three to four turnips into a bowl, stems up. Heat the miso soup (bacon dashi braising liquid) and pour over the turnips, covering about halfway. Garnish with the pickled greens and a hefty amount of furikake. Top with more sambal or chili crunch for more heat.