Red Goose GardensBenefits and Nutrition
Radishes are an excellent source of Vitamin C, Folate and Potassium, as well as dietary fiber. One cup of chopped radish contains only about 20 calories, and provides a lot of flavor (with only trace amounts of native salt) in dishes that might otherwise rely on sugar, salt and fat for flavor.
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Storage and Preserving
Radishes should be stored in a plastic bag in the refrigerator, after trimming the greens, which should also be saved. (This keeps the bulbs from drying out so quickly.) Eat the greens within a few days of harvest: they are delicious to eat, but they don't last long once they are out of the ground. The radishes themselves will keep for a week or two, but have the best taste and consistency eaten raw if they are young. If more than a week old, it is often best to cook them.
Radishes may be preserved through the Winter by pickling and canning, and most any conventional cucumber pickle recipe will do!
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Uses
Radishes are great raw on their own, or as part of a crudité platter with the dip or dressing of your choice, or adding a wonderful spiciness sliced over green salads. Some added chopped radishes to bean pot dishes, soups and stew-like dishes for the same reason.
The easiest way to cook them is to sauté sliced radishes in a pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil. They can also be tossed with olive oil and roasted in the oven until tender. In either case, a pinch of salt and pepper enhances them.
Radishes are also one of those vegetables - like beets and cucumbers - that are well worth pickling as an accompaniment to other dishes even if you don't want to preserve them all winter long. An easy refrigerator pickle follows, and there are several excellent variations on a red pickle relish floating around on the Internet.
Lastly, be sure to use the greens! They are far tastier when cooked - steamed or sautéd - and are an earthy delight on their own with a bit of butter or extra virgin olive oil and a few drops of vinegar. Or you can add them to soups, stews or bean dishes to good effect. Just remember to wash them well under running water as you would beet tops or any garden green.
