Kate's Global Kitchen: Recipe Ideas with Radishes

Radishes: World Travelers

If it's been a while since you cooked with radishes, then it's time to revisit this colorful vegetable. Besides being fat free and low in sodium, a serving of seven radishes has only 20 calories and provides 30 percent of the recommended daily value of Vitamin C. Use the radish rose garnish to enhance your next meal, and try the radish recipe ideas here to bring crunchy, crisp radishes back into your diet.

Kate Heyhoe
The Global Gourmet

Radish Rose Garnishes

Use medium-size round radishes. Trim off the root ends, leaving small circles of white. Holding each radish, root side up, cut a thin rounded slice on one side of the radish, leaving it attached at the base. Cut 3 or 4 more petals, spacing them evenly around the radish. Cut a second thin slice behind the original petals. Chill, covered with ice water, for 30 minutes. Radish Roses add color to cold meat platters, salads and sandwiches, and as a crudite for dips.

Radish Recipe Tips

For extra crunch and bite, add sliced radishes to stir-frys.
Sprinkle chopped radishes over tacos for more zip and texture.
Stir chopped or sliced radishes into tuna, egg, potato or chicken salad.v
Thinly sliced radishes make a tasty, fresh garnish sprinkled over New England clam chowder or other milk-based soups.
For an unusual vegetable side dish, sauté quartered radishes in butter until crisp-tender, about 2 minutes; sprinkle with cracked black pepper.
Stir chopped radishes into plain yogurt or sour cream for a topping for baked potatoes or chili.
Bagels spread with cream cheese and sliced radishes make a quick appetizer or snack.
Roast radish halves brushed with oil at 450"F for 15 minutes. Great with roast beef or chicken.
A combination of mayonnaise and chopped radishes makes a tangy instant spread for ham or roast beef sandwiches.
Thinly slivered radishes stirred into rice pilaf add an unexpected nip and crunch.

Buying Tips

Red radishes are sold either bagged without tops or by the bunch with their leaves. Look for brightly-colored radishes with fresh green leaves, if still attached.vvv
A six-ounce bag yields about one and one-half cups whole, halved, sliced, wedged or quartered radishes.