Did you ever grow radishes that turned woody before you could eat them? Or that didn't form good roots and went to waste? Growing radishes in hot weather is taking a chance that they won't be edible at all. Without enough water, they become hot and tough.
Even then, they're salvageable, so don't throw them on the compost heap or the trash. Scrub the woody roots, cut the larger ones in two and cook them gently for a few minutes. They taste like... well, like a very mild radish. If you boil them for a minute and freeze them for later, they make great additions to stews and soups. If you have a lot of them, just serve them as a vegetable side dish with a little salt if you like. You might enjoy them with butter and salt, mashed like potatoes.
Radish tops can be cooked like any other "green." Wash thoroughly, chop and cook in enough water to barely cover until they're tender. They cook down like spinach or turnip greens, so it takes a lot, but you can do them in small batches and freeze them to include in other greens.
Radish tops can be eaten raw but they have a funky texture. If you want to serve them in salad, chop them fine and the texture isn't noticeable. They add a little tang to the salad.
Did they go to see while you weren't looking? Great! Use the seeds in salads or breads, or, if the seed pods are still green, eat them just like they are. Seed pods make a good addition to salad, too.
Now... guess whose little radish plot went wild?
Radishes are also very good roasted with some salt and olive oil.
ReplyDeleteI never had them like that, but I can imagine they'd be good. When you boil them, you can use the woody ones, the ones you'd otherwise throw out. Can you roast those?
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