adapted from Dishing Up The Dirt
1 bunch of Japanese turnips, with their tops if they're nice and fresh, trimmed so there's just a nice 1/4 inch of green stems left
1 lemon, halved
1/2 teaspoon dried red chili flakes
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (not greek yogurt)
about 1/2 cup lightly packed basil, finely chopped
4 scallions, trimmed (including 1/2 inch of the green tops) sliced on a sharp angle, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes and then drained well (use your tropea onions instead!)
extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup poppy seeds
Slice the turnips lengthwise as thin as you can. If you have a mandolin, use it; otherwise a sharp knife and steady hand will do just fine. Soak the sliced turnips in ice water for 15 minutes then drain them very well.
Rinse, dry and roughly chop the turnip greens. Put the turnips in a large bowl and squeeze half of the lemon. Add the chili flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and plenty of black pepper and toss to blend. Add the yogurt and toss again. Add the basil, scallions, and 1/4 cup olive oil and toss again. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Scatter about half of the poppy seeds on the bottom of the platter or individual serving plates, top with the turnip salad, and finish the the rest of the poppy seeds. Serve right away.