Radishes from my garden (Click To Zoom)

I’ve come up with 10 ways to use radishes in your spring pantry:

1.  Just as they are

It’s a bit painful to suggest anything more than enjoying radishes just as they are. A bowl of radishes on the table with best quality butter and sea salt is simply perfect. In his book, The Whole Beast Nose to Tail Eating, Fergus Henderson suggests enjoying the radishes with butter and serving the radish greens on the side dressed in Dijon vinaigrette.

2.  Salad

The internet is full of recipes for radish salads, but all you need to think about is ingredients that would best compliment the spicy flavor and crisp texture of radishes. Rich, creamy avocado, citrus, and fresh herbs like chive, cilantro, or mint combine beautifully with radishes.

3.  Potato Salad

I came across a recipe in the Blackberry Farm cookbook for potato salad with creamy green goddess dressing and radishes. Spinach, tarragon, and basil contribute color and bright, herbal flavor to the dish. Soft boiled potatoes are a nice foil to the raw crunchy radish.

4.  Sandwich

A simple sandwich composed of baguette slathered in butter, sprinkled with salt, and topped with thinly sliced radishes is a luxury. On her website, Martha Stewart suggests a sandwich of paper thin radishes, cold roast beef, and dark salad greens. In Chez Panisse Vegetables, Alice Waters suggests a radish and anchovy tartine. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!

5.  Pickled

I’m a big fan of pickled radishes on a charcuterie plate. It’s true, I’m a fan of anything pickled, but radishes take on this lovely pink hue and look so pretty with cornichons and salumi. Use small radishes that can be eaten in one bite for a sophisticated presentation.

6.  Roasted

Radishes can be tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper and roasted in a hot oven like any other root vegetable. Rosemary is a nice aromatic for this preparation.

7.  Sautéed in Butter

Combine radishes in a hot pan with butter, a dash of champagne vinegar and a sprinkling of sugar. The result: beautifully caramelized radishes. Serve them with roast chicken or lamb chops.

8. Braised

Simmer spring veg like radishes, spring onions, and potatoes in chicken stock until tender. Thyme is the perfect herb for this dish. Serve the braised veg with an elegant piece of fish prepared simply. Maybe poached halibut or roasted salmon?

9.  Radish Leaf Soup

In Forgotten Skills of Cooking, Darina Allen shares a recipe for “Radish Leaf Soup” that incorporates peppery radish leaves with potato and chicken stock. The puréed soup would be an elegant first course.

10.  Garnish

Thinly sliced or cut into tiny matchsticks, radishes make a refreshing garnish to any dish. I always toss them in olive oil, salt, pepper plus a splash of lemon juice or vinegar and let them marinate a minute so any acrid flavors can mellow. Ice cold marinated radishes provide contrast in temperature and texture when served over a warm piece of fish or a steak.

How do you like your radishes?