Ok, I am over run with radishes. Now what? I planted them to show me where the rows of other stuff were at. Yesterday they were small. Today they are HUGE 1 1/2 iches in diameter. Are there any recipes I could use to cook them up before they all go to seed? I dont eat enough salad to use them all (heck, I am wondering if everyone in the neighborhood combined eats enough salad to use them all!)

-- Kevin in NC (Vantravlrs@aol.com), April 25, 2001

Answers

Kevin, Try pickling them in a vinegar based pickling solution with beet juice. It's called "lift" pronounced LEEFT in Greek/mediterranean cuisine, and they're wonderful!!!!! That's probably the only reason I miss living near a city sometimes. I can't get Lift and Olives around here. : )

-- Kristin, in La. (positivekharma@aol.com), April 25, 2001.

You can cook them. They're somewhat of an acquired taste that way - sort of like a strong-tasting turnip (that's if you're starting with the round red hot radishes) but it tones down the beautiful hot taste (and loses the beautiful red colour), and they can become ordinary boiled vegetables. If you don't like them that way, then they're usable as poultry or pig feed (just mash coarsely first). As above, though, they're better pickled.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), April 25, 2001.

I love a good radish sandwich. Just fresh home bake bread spread with butter and slice and pile on the radishes. I have never heard of pickling them. Does anyone have a receipie?

-- Kitty in FL (wheate@earthlink.net), April 25, 2001.

Hah! Look in the archives....there are a few radish pickling recipes there as well as a discussion about pickling the whole ones.

-- julie f. (rumplefrogskin@excite.com), April 25, 2001.

Kevin, I never ate a cooked radish until I met my husband. He steams them just like any other greens, radish and all. MMMM good! Sprinkle a little herbed vinegar over and eat, or put bacon bits and a little sugar sprinkled over top. Also, to save them you can blanch them and freeze in your freezer, just like all other greens. If I don't get time to freeze anything else, I always make time for freezing enough greens for the winter! :) tang

-- tang (tang@mtaonline.net), April 26, 2001.

You can put them in the blender with a little salt and olive oil - makes a very fresh nice bread spread ---- very easy too!

-- kelly (kellytree@hotmail.com), April 26, 2001.

Hi, you can let them flower and use the seed pods in salad and stryfry and chickens love them too,you will be amazed at how many one seed pods you can get from one radish plant. I got over a quart from some plants. They also make great mini pickles. Daryll

-- Daryll (twincrk@hotmail.com), April 26, 2001.

Cream cheese and radishes in the food processor for a cracker spread, also tastes great on celery, or cream of radish soup are our favorites. Pick them daily before they get too large. Or, take them to your local grocery store produce manager and offer them for sale.

-- Rose Marie Wild (wintersongfarm@yahoo.com), April 26, 2001.

Thank you all for the delicious recipees and Ideas. I feasted on them tonight. A confession: I don't like raw radishes that much. But mmm...mmm, dinner was great! Ok, heres what I did. I built a fire in the wood stove. I went out and picked somemore that had gotten HUGE overnight... we had been able to give a bunch away yesterday and meet the neighbors while at it. I sliced some. I put some in a pot to boil. I set some others aside. The ones I boiled were HOT HOT spicier than raw ones, in fact, but they did loose their red color. The ones I sliced I put on buttered toast with "radish spread." The ones I set aside I put in the blender with some Thousand Island dressing (its all i could find in a hurry). This I spread ont top of the toast. I will try the others tommorow night (Im out of radishes now!!!) well, except for the ones in ground, which will be ready tommorrow. Daryl- I never thought about eating the seed pods, that I dea was cool.. I was planning on letting some go to see for next yrs crop anyways, will try some later.

-- Kevin in NC (vantravlrs@aol.com), April 26, 2001.

Orientals grate their daikons (but you could use any kind) and saute them in sesame oil and soy sauce until golden brown. Yummy!!!

-- Soni (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), April 27, 2001.

After you posted this question I decided to go see what kind of recipes I could find. Well, about 6 hours later I have found some wonderful recipes.

here are a few:

Pickled Radishes

Recipe By : http://www.cdkitchen.com Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:00 Categories : Ap:Pickle *Microwave

1 Tb Yellow Mustard Seed 1 Tb Fennel Seeds 1 1/2 Ts Celery Seeds 1 Tb Kosher Salt 1 1/2 C Red Wine Vinegar 1 1/4 C Water 1 1/2 Lb Radishes -- Washed, Halved

Place mustard seeds, fennel seeds and celery seeds in a mortar or spice grinder; coarsely grind. Pour into a microwave-safe 4-cup glass measure. Stir in salt, vinegar and water. Cover tightly with microwave-safe plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH (100%) for 5 minutes. Carefully prick plastic to release steam. Carefully uncover.

Divide radishes among 6 sterilized half-pint canning jars. Pour vinegar mixture over radishes to cover completely, leaving 1/2" headspace in each jar. Arrange filled jars around edge of carousel. Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH (100%) for 10 minutes or until radishes are just tender.

Remove jars from oven. Cover with lids. Let cool slightly. Refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled. Store in refrigerator and use within 1 month.

Note: I would rather can them, but looks like a great recipe.

Korean white radish(a bundle or two) 1/3 c coarse salt 2 cloves garlic 1 knob ginger 1 green onion

1/2 c red cayenne pepper powder 1/4 bundle watercress 1 Tbsp sugar 1 teas sesame seed 1 tbsp salted shrimp

Cut plump, firm Korean radish into cubes 3/4" by 1". Sprinkle with salt and let stand. Cut greenonion and water cresss stems into 2" lengths. Mix the salted radish cubes with the red pepper powder. Boil the glutinous rice flour with water into a thin paste-gruel and let cool(the gruel will be somewhat sticky and the consistency of thin glue) Add the green onion, water cress, garlic, ginger and glutinous rice paste-gruel to the colored radish and mix well. Season with salt. Keep in a cool place or the refrigerator

Sweet & Sour Radishes

In place of the fresh dill, you may substitute 1/2 teaspoon dried dill.

Prep: 15 minutes Chill: 6 hours

1/3 cup vinegar 3 Tbsp. water 4 tsp. sugar 1 Tbsp. snipped fresh dill weed 3 cloves garlic, minced 1/4 tsp. salt 1 small fresh red chili pepper, such as serrano or Thai chili pepper, seeded and sliced (optional)(*) 2 cups whole small or halved radishes, such as red, icicle, Easter egg, and/or French breakfast

Combine vinegar, water, sugar, dill, garlic, salt, and if desired, chili pepper. Place radishes in a self-sealing plastic bag; pour vinegar mixture over vegetables, turning to coat. Seal bag. Chill 6 to 8 hours before serving, turning bag occasionally. Makes 6 servings.

(*) Note: Hot peppers contain oils that can burn eyes, lips, and sensitive skin, so wear plastic gloves while preparing them and be sure to wash your hands thoroughly afterward.

Nutrition facts per serving: 24 cal., 0 g total fat (0 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 107 mg sodium, 6 g carbo., 1 g fiber, and 0 g pro. Daily Values: 6% vit. A, 38% vit. C, 1% calcium, and 2% iron.

Radish Celery Salad

1 c Radishes; 1 c Celery; sliced thin 1/4 c French Dressing; (low-cal) 1 c Lettuce leaves; torn up

Toss radishes, celery, and dressing together. Refreigerate an hour or so before placing on lettuce leaves.

RADISH CURRY WITH GREEN GRAM (mullangi-pesarapappu koora)

Cooking time-15 minutes+soaking time serves- 3

Ingredients

1 cup grated radish ½ cup green gram soaked in water for 20 minutes ½ turmeric powder ½ tsp chili powder salt to taste

Seasoning

1 tbsp oil ½ mustard seeds 1 red chili broken into bits

Method

Heat oil in a wok and add mustard seeds. Once the seeds stop crackling add red chilis, green gram, curry leaves, turmeric powder and salt. Mix well. Sprinkle 1/4 cup water, cover the pan and cook for 8-10 minutes. Add grated radish and chilipowder, mix, cover the pan and cook for 2 more minutes and switch off the flame. Serve with rice or chapati.

Variations

Add 2 table spoons of freshly grated coconut.

Radish Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

2 parts vinegar 1 part water (or sherry, if you like) 1 part soy sauce (I use tamari -- I like the deeper flavour - you can also use salt to taste if you prefer a "cleaner" color to the dressing) 1-2 drops of toasted sesame oil (for flavour - it's worth it) sugar to taste

Preparation:

Adjust the parts until the dressing is to your liking. I like it fairly vinegary. The amount will depend on how much vegetable you are dressing.

Radishes: trim and slice thinly. The Chinese lightly smash the radish slices (I use the bottom of a heavy glass), thus the salad is called "Smashed Radishes" (great name for getting kids to try it).

Cucumbers: trim and slice thinly. I like to score the cucumber before slicing it, to give it an interesting design.

I usually put the radishes or cucumbers (or combined) in a plastic bag and pour the dressing over. This way I can get the air out of the bag and not worry about having to turn the veggies while they marinate. Refrigerate for at least an hour. (Longer is okay, but the veggies will look darker the longer they sit in the soy sauce dressing.)

Crispy Oriental radishes

Yield 1 cup

1 1/2 cups radishes, cut in half 1 T rice vinegar 3/4 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. black pepper

In a small bowl, toss radishes with salt. Cover and refrigerate until 1 to 2 tablespoons of water is released, about 30 minutes. Transfer radishes to a strainer, rinse and drain, removing as much salt as possible. Pat dry with a paper towel and return to bowl. Stir in vinegar, black pepper and, if desired, sesame oil. Cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Thai Khanom Pad Ka (White Radish Cake)

2 pound white radish 1-1/2 cups rice flour 2 tablespoons of 'strong' wheat flour 2 tablespoons water

Trim, peel, and dice the radish; then in a food processor reduce it to a fine puree (you may well have to do this in batches).

Combine with the flour and water and mix thoroughly.

Turn into a shallow baking tray or heat proof dish, at least 8 inches square, to form a thin layer. Place in a steamer and steam for about 30 minutes. It is cooked when a knife slipped into the mixture comes out clean.

Allow to cool completely, and then cut into 1" squares.

These are just a few recipes :) I think I will go plant radishes!

-- westbrook (westbrook@qnet.com), April 27, 2001.

If you let the pods develop and dry, you can save the seeds to plant the next year and also for spicy sprouts all winter. We like a combination of alfalfa and radish sprouts on a sandwich in place of lettuce.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), April 27, 2001.