Radish:Greens & Roots

28/02/2013 20:28

Heirloom Suggestion

French Breakfast

French Breakfast is an oblong radish that grows 1 1/2 to 2 inches, scarlet up top in color with a bright white tip.  Sweet, tender and mild.   Perfect for salads. 

1884 D.M. Ferry Seed Catalog says about French Breakfast Radish....
"A medium sized radish, olive shaped, small top, of quick growth, very crisp and tender, of a beautiful scarlet color, except near the root, which is pure white.  A splendid variety for the table, not only on account of its excellent qualities, but for its beautiful color."

Source:Sustainable Seeds

Growing Radish

 

A few recipe ideas for Radishes and their tasty Greens leaves.

* Radishes are great added to salads, to make sure they are really crisp, soak them in iced water for around 30 minutes before slicing.

* Grate them and mix with a little softened butter and chopped parsley, then add a spoonful onto a pan-fried steak.

* Pan fry whole radishes with little olive oil and butter until golden, season with a squeeze of lemon, serve with pork or chicken.

* Enjoy Radishes as pre-lunch nibbles, Wash a bunch radishes with ice cold water, drain and halve, arrange on a small platter or dish and serve with Sea Salt for sprinkling.



RADISH TOP SOUP
Radish Top Soup is easy to make, tastes great, and is light enough to enjoy on a warm summers day.

3 Bunches Radishes
1 large onion, chopped
4 Potatoes, peeled & chopped
3 cups water or chicken stock/veg stock
2/3 cup milk
1 tbsp butter
salt & black pepper

Cut tops from radishes and wash well (keep the radishes for use in another recipe.) Melt butter in large heavy saucepan, Add onion and saute until tender, about 5 minutes.

Add radish leaves and saute until wilted, next, add potatoes and 3 cups of water. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree soup in batches in blender, or use stick blender in saucepan. Return to saucepan and mix in milk. Stir over medium heat until hot. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

* Beet greens and Kale would also work with or instead of the Radish greens for this soup.



RADISH PASTA
A delicious peppery pasta sauce

Serves 4

2 bunches Radishes
350g pasta
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
75g pine nuts, toasted
75g parmesan cheese + little extra to serve
salt & black pepper
bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Cut the leaves off the radishes, wash & dry. Slice the radishes and chop the leaves. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the pasta. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan and saute onion for 3-5 minutes. Add garlic, pine nuts, radishes and leaves and cook until the leaves wilt and soften, season with a little salt & plenty black pepper remove from heat and keep warm. Drain the cooked pasta and add the radishes and the parmesan, stirring together. Serve the pasta with the chopped parsely and an extra sprinkling of parmesan over the top.

 

PICKLED RADISHES
Makes 350g

280g Sliced Radishes
2 small Red Onions, thinly sliced
125ml White Wine Vinegar
100g Sugar
2 tsp Salt
6 whole black peppercorns

Put the Radishes and Onion slices into a large jar.
Put the vinegar and sugar into a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolves. Combine with the salt & peppercorns, mix well, then pour over the radishes and onions. Cover the jar and chill overnight for the best flavour. Serve with Japanese/Asian style food, or in sandwiches, also lovely with cheese.

 

Daikon

The Daikon radish, also known as Mooli, White Radish, Japanese radish, Oriental radish, Chinese radish, and Icicle radish, is a popular Asian vegetable. It looks like a very fat white carrot, but it is actually a radish.

The word Daikon comes from the Japanese words dai, meaning 'big' and kon, meaning 'root'. Daikon can actually reach sizes up to 100 pounds with a 2-foot leaf spread. Despite being associated with Asian culture, the plant is believed to have originated in the Mediterranean region. It was taken to the East around 500 B.C. The flesh is kind of white to off white, and it has a crunchy mild peppery taste.

Daikon is an extremely versatile vegetable that can be eaten raw in salads, it also melds well with other flavours and makes a flavourful addition to broth-based soups. Good used in Indian cooking too.

Daikon greens are also edible. Wash and salt the greens lightly before serving raw in salads, add them to soups or serve them lightly stir-fried.

When storing Daikon radishes, place them in a plastic container or bag and put them in your refrigerator. This will ensure that the roots stay moist, which is important to preserve their freshness.




RADISH & CHICKPEA CURRY
Serves 2
** 200g dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water over night / or use 400g canned chickpeas, drained & rinsed.

200g Daikon/white radish
2 tbsp oil
1 large onion,chopped
1 bayleaf
2 cloves
2 cardamom pods, crushed
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ginger -garlic paste
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 tomato, finely chopped
300ml coconut milk
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves for serving

 * If using  the dried chickpeas-drain and cook in fresh water with bay leaf until tender, adding salt to taste towards end cooking, then drain.

Halve the radish lengthways, then cut across into 5mm thick slices. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the radish until lightly browned at the edges, remove and drain on some kitchen paper. Add the whole spices to the pan and saute for 1-2 minutes until they crackle, then add the onion and saute until golden brown. Add the powdered spices and stir, then add the ginger-garlic paste and saute for 2-3minutes. Add the tomato and cook for about 10 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, chickpeas and radish, bring to a simmer and cook for 5-10 minutes, until radish is tender. Sprinkle with the chopped coriander and serve with warmed naan breads.

D.Moss