Radishes are more than just a colorful garnish
Oh, the joy of a spring garden! This week, I have been finding the best reasons to get out in my beds early —to pull up fresh radishes.
Like other early vegetables, radishes are super easy to grow, especially when you treat them as annuals like I do. So I harvest them in May, which leaves my plots ready for something else to plant and handle the summer heat.
Even though there are numerous fun colors of radish varieties to grow, I like the ordinary red ones that are so prolific in supermarket produce departments. They are relatives of broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi and, not surprisingly, turnips and horseradish. Their peppery bite, which is distinctive for sure, hints at their family tree.
When shopping, select radishes that are firm and free of any wrinkles. Those that have begun to shrivel have lost moisture and will have a pithy texture rather than the crisp snap that is common. Store them in the crisper drawer in a plastic bag. If the tops are still attached, remove them promptly. They will pull moisture from the roots and shorten the shelf life.
The “heat” in flavor when eaten raw comes from mustard oil within the root. Carrie, I think what she may have been writing is actually spelled “mushimono.” It is a Japanese term that means “steamed foods.” Look at the instructions and see if that is the cooking process next to her notes. Cooking by any method reduces that bite almost instantly. For that reason, radishes are one of my favorite vegetables to roast.
If you think you don’t like them, try them this way. Just preheat the oven to 350 degrees and slice them after washing. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for no more than 20 minutes and serve with a squeeze of lemon juice. You will be shocked at how the flavor changes. It doesn’t even taste like the same thing!
For something different, toss the roasted veggies with a little low-sodium soy sauce instead of the citrus juice.
Tammy Algood of Smyrna is the author of five Southern cookbooks. Reach her at ttalgood@bellsouth.net.