Radish Overload

Radishes. Always one of the first spring goodies to pop up in my garden, it’s always exciting to pull those red (or white or purple) globes out of the ground.  But if you are like me, you probably grow tired of eating radishes the same way all summer long – sliced raw on salads.

As spring moved into summer, our radishes, as radishes tend to do, became spicier and spicier.  Too spicy for salads, in my opinion.  I needed to find something else to do with them.  I had heard of roasting radishes, and in my searching, I also found recipes for braising radishes.  Both methods are easy to prepare and mellow out radishes’ spice, making them creamy, mild little nuggets.

For summer, when turning on the oven seems out of the question, I would suggest sticking to braising radishes.  What’s braising?  A braise is when you cook a food over medium-high to high heat for a short amount of time (for flavor), and then liquid is added and the food is cooked on low, covered, until it is tender. 

Here’s my favorite simple way to braise radishes: first take 1 pound of radishes (about 2 bunches), take off the tops, and slice the radishes in half.  Heat 1 Tbsp of butter (or non-dairy substitute) in a heavy skillet (cast iron works well) over medium-heat.  Add the radishes to the pan and cook without stirring 2-3 minutes or until the bottoms start to brown. Add 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar and about ½ a cup of water or enough to submerge the radishes about a quarter or half of the way up their sides.  Cover the pan and lower the heat so that the liquid is simmering. Simmer about 10 minutes, or until radishes are tender.  Remove the lid and continue simmering for another 3-4 minutes, until the liquid is somewhat syrupy.  Add some freshly chopped parsley, if you’d like, and season with salt and pepper.

When the weather turns cool, give roasted radishes a try.  To roast radishes, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Take 1 pound of radishes (about 2 bunches), take off the tops, and slice the radishes in half or in quarters. Toss radishes with 2 Tbsp olive oil, 2 Tbsp lemon juice, 2 Tbsp honey or maple syrup, and salt and ground black pepper to taste. Spread the radishes on a baking sheet in a single layer. Bake 18-20 minutes, stirring a couple times to avoid the bottoms burning.

Hopefully this will help up your radish game and keep your garden radishes from going to waste.  It seems like cooking radishes is still somewhat of a novelty, so bring some to your next potluck and impress your friends!