Radishes, Again!

"Petit Dejeuner" Radishes from Renee's Garden" Seed Co.

Do you remember the scene in Gone with the Wind when Scarlet was starving and she went out into her garden and vigorously dug up radishes with her bare hands, ate a bite and then spit them out? As I remember the scene, she clinched her fist at the sky and said “As God is my witness I will never go hungry again”. As a young girl watching that scene I wondered, what was it that was so bad that even though she was starving she couldn’t eat the, was it really radishes? I have to admit I have not ever been a fan of radishes until this summer. Actually that is not  true. The first time I had radishes that I completely loved were the ones that were part of a Guatemalan family dish my son’s girlfriend at the time made in my kitchen. We didn’t have the meat part of the meal because everyone at that time in the house was a vegetarian except for me. So this wonderful young chef  made masa tortillas  from scratch and as I remember it, some kind of grated radish concoction. The first reason to love radishes is that from planting to harvest, at least for the smaller varieties, like my beloved “Petit Dejeuner” French radishes it only takes about four weeks. The second reason to love radishes is the recipe below. It is soooooo easy and absolutely great as a side dish.The third reason is the abundance of varieties to grow. For the late Summer  and into Fall garden I have planted two varieties new to me. The first is from Renee’s Garden seed co. and it is an heirloom variety called “Watermelon” or “Beauty Heart” in Chinese. It is an Asian variety growing two – four inches and is light green on the outside and rose-red on the inside. The second variety is “Miyashige White” from Botanical Interests, a Daikon variety good for planting in the Fall garden.

Happy planting, just do it, ok?

"Another Row of Radishes to Plant"

"Radish Salad with Mint and Cilantro"

“Radish Salad”

Slice one cup of radishes

sprinkle with coarse salt (just a small pinch or more if you can’t help yourself)

squeeze the juice of one lime over the sliced radishes

add 1-2 TB of  fresh cilantro

and 1-2 TB of fresh mint leaves

toss all of these tasty ingredients together and cover for an hour or more

Note: This will keep a few days in the refrigerater

Great side dish for Mexican dishes and  grilled meats or tastes great as a refreshing snack