Vegetable Feature: Radishes

Bunched Red Radishes

By Chef Andrea

     Radishes are one of the oldest cultivated plant foods. There are two classifications of radishes--”Table” or “Spring” radishes and “Storage” radishes. Table radishes are one of the first crops we plant in the spring, with harvest just 4 to 6 weeks later. Green top red and French breakfast radishes are the two varieties we grow. They are tender with a thin skin and are meant to be eaten within a week or so after they are harvested. We actually plant them all throughout the summer and into the early part of the fall. 

   

     The other type of radishes we grow are storage radishes which include daikon, Black Spanish and beauty heart radishes.  Winter radishes are more sturdy, with a longer growing season, thicker skin and more dense flesh and they store very well. You’ll be receiving some of these varieties in some of the last boxes of the season.

Black Spanish Radish

     Radishes are eaten extensively worldwide. Often they are pickled, cured, dried or fermented to preserve them. Historical reports date back to 2000 BC where radishes are thought to have been included in the daily ration, along with onions and garlic, for the people building the Egyptian pyramids. With a history like this, there has to be something good for us in a radish! Radishes are a good source of vitamins A, C and B6 as well as magnesium, calcium and potassium. In traditional Chinese medicine, radishes are used to promote digestion, break down mucus, soothe headaches and heal laryngitis. They are beneficial in helping to cleanse and detoxify the body and it is thought that they help prevent viral infections, such as colds and the flu, when consumed regularly. 

   

Beauty Heart Radish

     Radishes may be eaten raw, pickled, cured and also may be cooked. When cooked, either sauteed, stir-fried, braised or roasted, radishes lose their peppery flavor and become mild and slightly sweet in flavor. If you are one that shies away from radishes because you are still learning to like their peppery bite, consider cooking them. Don’t forget to eat the radish greens as well as they are packed full of nutrients! Radish greens may be added to stir-fries, simply sautéed alone or with other greens and dressed with salt and a splash of vinegar. They are often incorporated into soups and can also be eaten raw in salads. Quick pickled radishes make a nice condiment to enjoy on tacos, alongside grain dishes, lentils, beans or layered onto a sandwich.

     We hope you will look at radishes with a new set of eyes and take advantage of all they have to offer to your diet and your health.

Dal with Radish Raita

Yield: 6-8 servings

FOR THE DAL

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp unsalted butter or ghee

2 ½ cups chopped onions 

1 ½ cups diced carrots 

1 tsp salt

1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger

½ tsp ground cayenne

½ tsp ground cumin

1 tsp turmeric

2 cups red lentils, rinsed

6 cups water

2 cups canned tomatoes

1 ½ cups packed chopped spinach or other greens (chard, radish tops, kale, etc)

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice 

French Breakfast Radish

RAITA

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (½ lemon)

1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt

3 radishes, finely grated

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint

1. For the dal: Melt the olive oil and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the carrots, salt, ginger, cayenne, cumin, turmeric, lentils, and ½ cup of the water and cook, stirring often, for another 5 to 7 minutes. Add the rest of the water and bring to a low boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices to the pot, squeezing them with your hands to crush them. Continue to cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until the lentils are cooked and the soup is thick, 30 to 45 minutes. Stir in the spinach or other greens and lemon, remove from heat, and add salt to taste.

2. While the soup cooks, make the raita: Stir together the yogurt, lemon, olive oil, salt, radishes, and mint in a small bowl. Serve the soup with a dollop of raita in each bowl.

Recipe borrowed from Alana Chernila’s book, The Homemade Kitchen.

Radish Top Pasta with Chickpeas & Parsley

Yield: 3-4 servings

6 oz fettucine pasta

3 Tbsp butter

1 medium onion, small diced

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 tsp salt plus more to taste

1 ½ Tbsp stoneground mustard

½ cup dry sherry

Radish greens from 1 bunch radishes, cut into bite-sized pieces

4 cups spinach or other greens, cut into bite-sized pieces (Kale, Chard, etc)

1 cup small diced spring radishes

½ cup parsley, finely chopped

1 cup cooked chickpeas

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Parmesan or other hard cheese, for serving

1. First, cook the pasta.  Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente.  Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water and then drain the pasta. Set aside the reserved pasta water and the pasta until ready to use.

2. Melt butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat.  When hot, add onion and garlic and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent.  

3. Stir in 1 tsp salt and the mustard.  Stir to combine, then add the dry sherry.  Simmer for about 2 minutes, then add the radish greens and spinach or other greens.  Cover and continue to simmer for a few minutes, just until the greens are wilted.

4. Remove the cover and add the diced radishes, parsley and chickpeas.  Stir to combine and then add the pasta to the pan.  Bring everything to a simmer and then add about ½ cup of pasta water to the pan.  Allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes to ensure everything is heated through. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking with salt and black pepper.  Add additional pasta cooking water as needed to adjust the consistency of the sauce to your liking.

5. Serve warm, topped with freshly grated Parmesan or other cheese of your liking.

Recipe by:  Andrea Yoder

Vegetable Feature: Beauty Heart Radishes

By Sarah Janes Ugoretz
This week, we’re focusing our attention on the aesthetically pleasing and oh-so-delicious beauty heart radish! Also called watermelon, Chinese red meat or misato radishes, beauty hearts are an Asian variety that offer a vibrant splash of color that stays with us as the long days of winter set in and—depending on whether you’re a winter person—drone on.

A member of the mustard family, Raphanus sativus are one of the oldest cultivated foods. Today, radishes can be, and often are, classified by season. Beauty hearts are typically included in the winter radish bunch and are excellent for storing, their light green skin concealing their captivating magenta-colored interior and mildly spicy flesh.

Beauty Heart Radish

For those who shy away from radishes, beauty hearts are most definitely deserving of your attention. While more straightforward varieties may be regarded as pungent, spicy and bitter, beauty hearts have more of a delicate flavor and lack an in-your-face bite. This, along with their versatility, lends them to a variety of preparations. Slice them thinly and serve raw—plain, as a garnish or on salads. Beauty hearts also make an excellent addition to stir fries or Asian soups. If you opt for heated preparations, be sure to cook these radishes lightly so as to preserve their color and pleasant crunch.

An admirer of these unique radishes, I decided to make them the star of my Thanksgiving contribution. I decided to keep things simple by following Edible Madison’s Beauty Heart Radish and Sesame Seed Salad (see recipe below). I’ll admit that I was certain many of my extended family members would take a pass on this dish but, to my delight, they proved me wrong. This is all to say that beauty heart radishes are a unique and exciting crowd pleaser!

Radishes in general are valued as a digestive aid, as well as a detoxifier and blood cleanser. Beauty hearts provide a solid source of vitamins B, C and K, along with folate and essential minerals like manganese, calcium and iron. Store them in a sealed plastic bag in your refrigerator and resist the urge to peel them when you’re preparing them. There’s no need!

Beauty Heart Radish & Sesame Seed Salad

Yield:  4 servings
1 large beauty heart radish
1 Tbsp roasted tahini
½ tsp stone ground mustard
2 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp mirin (sweet rice cooking wine)
½ tsp tamari
2 tsp black sesame seeds, toasted
Parsley for garnish (optional)

1. Wash and cut beauty heart radish in half lengthwise (do not peel), then carefully cut each half into very thin half-moon slices.  Array the slices prettily on a platter.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, mustard, rice vinegar, mirin and tamari with a fork until well-combined.
3. Drizzle over beauty hearts and sprinkle with sesame seeds and thinly sliced parsley, if you wish.

PREPARATION NOTE:  If you’re looking for a slightly less fancy version of this salad, try this approach.  Cut the beauty heart radish into thin matchstick sized strips.  Double the ingredients for the dressing.  Toss the radish strips in the dressing to make more of a slaw.  Mix in the fresh parsley & some cilantro if you like (highly recommended).  Finish the slaw by adding the sesame seeds.

**This recipe was created by our friend, Dani Lind.  Her recipe was published in Edible Madison magazine and can be found on their website along with her feature article all about beauty heart radishes.

Mushroom & Miso Soup with Beauty Heart Radishes

by Chef Andrea Yoder

Yield:  4-5 Servings
6 cups chicken stock or broth
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 medium yellow onion, minced
1 oz dried mushrooms
¼ tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
1 small carrot, diced very small

Salt, to taste

Black Pepper, to taste

White Pepper, to taste

1 large beauty heart radish, diced very small

4 Tbsp miso

1. Put chicken stock in a medium saucepan over medium heat.  Heat the chicken stock until the liquid is just hot.
2. Add the garlic, ginger, onion, dried mushrooms and red pepper flakes.  Simmer for about 10 minutes, then add the carrot as well as the black and white pepper.  Simmer an additional 3 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.  You want to add just enough white pepper so you get just a hint of its flavor and enough black pepper that it tickles your tongue and brightens up the soup.
4. Put about 2-3 Tbsp of beauty heart radishes in each person’s soup bowl.  Ladle the hot soup over the radishes and serve each bowl of soup with 1 Tbsp of miso (any variety you choose will work) to stir into the warm soup.

Featured Vegetable: Daikon and Beauty Heart Radishes

By Sarah Janes Ugoretz

There are two kinds of radishes—the quick growing, spring varieties, and the slower-to-mature winter varieties. As winter varieties, daikon and beauty heart radishes share the spotlight for our vegetable feature this week. Members of the mustard family, radishes were first domesticated in the Mediterranean during pre-Roman times. By 500 B.C., traders had carried them first to China and shortly thereafter to Japan where cultivation quickly became widespread. Early on, radishes were most commonly grown for their seeds, which were pressed into oil. Despite the multitude of varieties, all radishes share certain characteristics—a crunchy texture, with a unique sharp bite and a varying degree of pungency. They are rich in vitamins C and B, are an excellent source of potassium, calcium and iron, and are often utilized as a digestive aid, detoxifier and blood cleanser.

Winter radishes are, you might have guessed, built for storage. In order to preserve their quality, however, be sure to keep them sealed in plastic bags in the refrigerator. Preventing moisture loss is key to maintaining freshness! If stored properly, daikon will store for several weeks and beauty heart radishes will store for several months. Don’t let a little browning on the surface fool you. This is a normal development with extended storage, but the radish is still good on the inside.

Daikon radishes

Daikon radishes, commonly referred to as Japanese horseradish or mooli, are rather easy to identify. A staple in Asian cuisine, daikon radishes are much milder than the traditional red radish. Their crisp, juicy texture is complemented by a sweet, slightly peppery bite. Interestingly enough, the thickest part of the root is the mildest, with pungency increasing as the root narrows. Although the typical daikon will measure between 15-20 inches in length, certain varieties can grow to be 36 inches long!

Beauty heart radishes

Beauty heart radishes, on the other hand, look more like a storage turnip than anything. Their pale, cream-colored exterior hides a rather stunning interior, however, the flesh exploding with unique patterns of fuchsia, white, and green. It’s no surprise then that their Chinese name, Xin Li Mei, literally translates to “heart inside beautiful.” At the Harmony Valley Farm market stand, the crew continually encourages patrons to give beauty hearts a try. They are, as we say, “the radish for non-radish lovers.” I like to think of these beauty hearts as a gateway variety—one taste of this mild, slightly sweet radish and you’ll be whisked away into a glorious world filled with tens upon tens of radish varieties! Well, maybe that’s wishful thinking, but these radishes are most certainly a culinary treasure.

Daikon radish is most often used raw and is often pickled. It can be used as a condiment to eat on sandwiches, alongside vegetarian rice dishes, or to accompany grilled or roasted meats. It is also a common ingredient in kim chi.

Beauty heart radishes can be eaten raw or cooked. They are a beautiful addition to winter vegetable slaws or can be the feature of a winter radish salad. We also enjoy them on winter crudité platters served with creamy dip or sliced cheese or slice thinly and put them on a sandwich for a little crunch. They also make a nice addition to stir-fry and are a great vegetable to add to simple soups such as miso or hot & sour soup.

If you are looking for recipe ideas, go to our searchable recipe database on our website and use the search terms “daikon radish” & “beauty heart radish.” You can also look to the Local Thyme online CSA recipe service for more ideas. See our weekly email for sign up instructions.

Hot & Sour Soup

This is a recipe sent to us by CSA members who adapted a recipe for Hot & Sour soup to incorporate beauty heart radishes. The original recipe came from The Meatless Gourmet by Bobbie Hinman (now under the title The Vegetarian Gourmet’s Easy International Recipes). 

Yield: 4 servings (1 cup each)
¼ cup water
2 Tbsp cornstarch
4 cups vegetable broth (4 cups water + a veggie bouillon)
1 large carrot, coarsely shredded
1 cup beauty heart radish, coarsely shredded
1 Tbsp sherry
4 ounces firm tofu, sliced, then cut into small rectangles
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1½ Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
½ tsp pepper (white or black)
2 green onions, thinly sliced (may substitute minced red onion)

1. In a small bowl, combine water and cornstarch. Stir to dissolve cornstarch. Set aside.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine broth, carrot, beauty heart and sherry. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 5 minutes.

3. Add tofu, vinegar and soy sauce. Increase heat to medium and when mixture boils again, cook uncovered, 3 minutes. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to saucepan while stirring. Continue to cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil and pepper. Garnish with onions.