What on earth do you do with radishes?

Our CSA has begun here in Colorado- woo hoo!  That means a weekly box of beautiful and local farm fresh fruit, veggies, and eggs…and a lot of new foods that we have no idea how to cook!

This spring has brough a lootttt of greens and radishes.  I have never had a good relationship with the old radish…it reminds me of one of three things:

1) a garnish at a cheesy buffet

 2) something that you can carve a little weird face out of (see #1) or

 3) something crunchy and tasteless in a salad.

I have vowed to conquer my fear of the radish this year…since I am up to my ears in them and really have no choice J

Some of the best things about having a CSA is that you are challenged to eat new things, prepare things in different ways, and you are forced to find a ton of new recipes.  Also, the farmers will send you their favorite recipes each week depending on that week’s harvest.  They will also talk to you when you pick up your share about how to cook each vegetable harvested that week. 

Yummy ways to prepare radishes:

In our CSA we got delicious (yes I said delicious and I mean it!) French Breakfast Radishes.  The farmer told me the best way to eat them was to slice them and put them on buttered toast and sprinkle with sea salt.  It was so yummy!  They are really good raw too- milder than traditional radishes.  This can be done with regular radishes too.

Pickled Radishes:

I was looking for a way to can radishes and couldn’t really find much about preserving them long term.  I did find some awesome pickled radish recipes that can be stored in your fridge for awhile.  Best eaten after the radishes have cured in the brine in the fridge for a week.  Use excess vinegar for salad dressing!

Pickled Radishes
Makes 1 half pint

6 radishes the size of pin pong balls, sliced very thin (1 heaping cup)
1 large shallot cut into eighths
½ cup vinegar
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon salt

Place the vinegar, sugar and salt in a small pot and heat over a medium low heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Add the radishes and shallots. Heat until the vinegar just begins to boil, and then remove from heat.

Enjoy!