Versatile Radishes
Summertime is upon us and the weather just keeps getting weirder and weirder. This summer we have had rain up to the eyeballs followed by hot spells and cold spells. Needless to say it's been difficult on all farmers, both rural and urban.
I'd like to think of myself as a part-time foodie. Don't get me wrong I mix some pretty pedestrian foods into the household diet, but for the most part I love to play with my ingredients and my food. When I can, I make as much from scratch as possible. Bread, ice cream, yogurt, cheese and crème fraîche are just a number of things I have made in the past.
This year I am focusing on the almighty organic vegetable. Specifically the radish. Now most people I spoke to either love radishes or hate them. Some find them too hot when they're fresh and others hate the store-bought variety when they are not in season. But radishes are more then the red globe you find at the store.
All the radish plant is edible, from the sprout, to the red globe root vegetable, to the leaves, to the seed pods (aka the fruit pod). The seed pods by the way, are just as delicious as the radish, minus the intense heat when they are picked young. The seed pods can be eaten fresh or cooked and can also be pickled. The root vegetable can be served raw or roasted, the greens are great sauteed (they're a little too prickly to be eaten raw), pretty much like any other green and of course who can forget about that delicious little sprout? The possibilities are endless. Talk about a winning veggie!
Radishes are a great addition to your garden as they are easily replenished by reseeding. In about 7 to 10 days a new radish supply can be sprouted and in about 3 weeks a new crop can be harvested. If you are looking for just the seed pod this will take longer, however be sure to pull the pods when they are young, as older pods become very fibrous.
These days, I know most of us are conscientious when it comes to nutrition and what we put into our bodies. So I am including the nutritional information.
USDA Nutritional Information
Trust me when I say, you won't get fat eating radishes unless you sauté them in a pound of butter and bacon fat and then top them off with a couple of cups of cream! Personally I love my radishes straight up naked.
Not sure what the seed pod looks like? Take a look at this photo...
Here's our fresh radish seed pods on the bottom right of this photo
The next time your in the mood for something different and are looking to be inspired, look to the multipurpose radish.
I'd like to think of myself as a part-time foodie. Don't get me wrong I mix some pretty pedestrian foods into the household diet, but for the most part I love to play with my ingredients and my food. When I can, I make as much from scratch as possible. Bread, ice cream, yogurt, cheese and crème fraîche are just a number of things I have made in the past.
This year I am focusing on the almighty organic vegetable. Specifically the radish. Now most people I spoke to either love radishes or hate them. Some find them too hot when they're fresh and others hate the store-bought variety when they are not in season. But radishes are more then the red globe you find at the store.
All the radish plant is edible, from the sprout, to the red globe root vegetable, to the leaves, to the seed pods (aka the fruit pod). The seed pods by the way, are just as delicious as the radish, minus the intense heat when they are picked young. The seed pods can be eaten fresh or cooked and can also be pickled. The root vegetable can be served raw or roasted, the greens are great sauteed (they're a little too prickly to be eaten raw), pretty much like any other green and of course who can forget about that delicious little sprout? The possibilities are endless. Talk about a winning veggie!
Radishes are a great addition to your garden as they are easily replenished by reseeding. In about 7 to 10 days a new radish supply can be sprouted and in about 3 weeks a new crop can be harvested. If you are looking for just the seed pod this will take longer, however be sure to pull the pods when they are young, as older pods become very fibrous.
These days, I know most of us are conscientious when it comes to nutrition and what we put into our bodies. So I am including the nutritional information.
USDA Nutritional Information
Trust me when I say, you won't get fat eating radishes unless you sauté them in a pound of butter and bacon fat and then top them off with a couple of cups of cream! Personally I love my radishes straight up naked.
Not sure what the seed pod looks like? Take a look at this photo...
Here's our fresh radish seed pods on the bottom right of this photo
Here's the salad we had with dinner. Fresh everything! And yes the seed pods made it into the salad.
Home grown and organic. Purple and green leaf lettuce, arugula, kale, radish seed pods and nasturtium blossoms dressed with olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, fresh thyme, oregano and rosemary and a dash of salt and pepper.
The next time your in the mood for something different and are looking to be inspired, look to the multipurpose radish.
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