We planted radishes in our allotment just before the start of the school holidays and within weeks we had a lovely crop. We bought a cheap packer of multi-coloured radish and each colour seemed to vary in taste
The first radish crop
It was also interesting to experiment with the development of that spicy taste these little fireballs are known for. These ping pong ball sized bulbs were really peppery. I don’t think I’ve ever had radish with that level of pungency! I had them raw with a sprinkling of sea salt – this is how my father always eats them and I remember as a child being in awe that he could palate something so fiery!
Fiery Radish
A low calorie digestive
By the following week they had mellowed and almost had a sweetness about them so were very easy to eat as they were. The delectable crunch was still there giving a hugely satisfying smile with each bite.
So aesthetically they have it all but I was curious about their nutritional value. In India these are eaten with the main meal as they help digestion. This is because they stimulate the production of bile which is part of a good digestive process. On top of that they have few calories being nearly all water and fibre. A handful of radishes has about 5 calories and will release energy slowly helpong with blood sugar levels. I think this worked for me. I took them to work for a mid morning snack and wasn’t really hungry til late afternoon.
Almost completely edible
We didn’t thin out our plants this year. A silly mistake. We were so excited at the little shoots coming out of the ground that we simply forgot. Next year though, I shall thin the plants out to get bigger bulbs and eat the spicy micro leaves in salad! I might also let a few go to flower as these are edible too.
Roasted Radish With Thyme and Honey
Being a root vegetable I imagined radish would roast up pretty well. I wanted something to counteract the peppery flavour so drizzled over some plain runny honey before popping them in the oven. Once cooked, I tossed through some fresh thyme and this was a knockout accompaniment to my roast cod.
Roast Radishes With Honey and Thyme
I hadn’t realised how many uses they have. I only used to buy these occasionally and eat them raw like my father but having had a fair few handfuls every week this summer, I’ve learned you can grate them into dips – Radish worked quite well in Tzatziki instead of the garlic and boil them and fork them through mash potato for a little natural pepper flavour.
How do you eat radishes? Do you have any recipes to share?
Related articles
- Radishes: From one garden to another (doriegreenspan.com)
- Recipes at Love Radish (loveradish.co.uk)
- Radish Recipes at Martha Stewart – Especially Radish Butter (marthastewart.com)
The first ones out the ground blow me away and then the roasted ones were a dream
Yes I remember the jig around the allotment with the first ones!
I haven’t tried roasting radishes before. We have some ready in our garden, so I’m going to try this. Radishes go well in a potato salad – a crunch to contrast with the potatoes.
This is very true re the potato salad. I also like adding spring onions
This makes me think I should eat radishes more often. Somehow it just never crossed my mind to roast them. I’ve used them in salads and my husband, Charleston, made a face. Lol…it’s definitely an acquired taste raw. Going to add some to this week’s grocery list 🙂
Oh dear. Do hope he prefers them roasted!
Gorgeous coloured radish Urvashi and brilliant idea to try roasting them. I love them in fattoush salad but also simply eaten raw with salt like you. I must admit to liking salty butter and bread with radish too, but this isn’t probably as good for my tum as your fab idea of a healthy morning snack on their own! Also, have you tried eating the little seed pods, apparently they’re good, about to try myself this week.
Have never tried eating the seed pods. What do they look like as I don’t remember mine having them?
You have to leave them to go to seed, they then have pretty flowers and the pods appear – I’ve only seen them as I’m often shoddy in tidying and also plant radish in all sorts of places then forget they’re there until I see the flowers!
Lol! Cool. I shall get shoddy! X
Radishes are something I have grown weirdly fond of over the years, and now it is rare for me not to have a bag or two in the fridge(I sometimes forget that I have bought them and then buy more). I too love the peppery kick and the satiety factor of these small balls of fire, and pop them mostly in salads but also as raita and grated into grain recipes. I have grown them in the past but not recently as they are so cheap to buy. Poor excuse, I know. The only time I roasted them I must have had them in too long and they went very wrinkly and strange. I do prefer them raw but I might just give your honey and thyme idea a shot.
Now why didn’t I think of adding them to raita?. I think it might have something to do with the acidity levels not being karmic with yoghurt in our Indian ways of balance but I will check with my mum. I like the idea. Nice change to the cucumber.
Wish I’d thought to try roasting radishes earlier in the summer… sandwiched in homemade bread was about the height of radish cuisine here! Now I’m impatient for next year to grow some more and try your idea.
I think it’s still warm enough. They are so quick to sprout up
I have never thought of roasting a radish, but I can see how it would work now that you have told us about it! Never seen all those coloured ones before either, I just assumed they came in bright red and that was it! See, you learn something (or more than something) new every day.
Oh there are so many varieties. I saw long thin ones that looked like carrots at the shop. Maybe those next year!