In Season: Radishes

The peppery zip of a radish is a zesty taste of spring. Yet, when I spoke with two Edmonton area growers, Jenny Birkenbosch, Sundog Organics, and Janelle Herbert, Riverbend Gardens in late April, both gazed onto fields still covered in white.

We have three feet of snow right now, said Jenny. “We’ll be planting in cold frames as soon as we can.

“We’ll plant Pink Beauty; Cherry Belle which are the beautiful radish-red colour; French Breakfast with the elongated white tips; and a mixed colour variety called Easter egg. Those are my favourite to harvest — they look like beautiful multi-coloured bouquets. We have tried the watermelon radish, it’s red inside with a green rind. It’s so pretty, we’ll try it again this year.

“I’m not super-passionate about growing radishes,” says Jenny. “They’re finicky and highly susceptible to insects. Radishes, arugula and other members of the mustard family are attractive to flea beetles, which eat the leaves, and root maggots. That’s a big problem when you grow organically as we do.

“I love to eat radishes in the field — pick, brush off, and pop in your mouth, super refreshing. My son’s favourite way to eat radishes? A grandma sandwich: sliced bread, butter, radishes and salt.

“We plant about a half acre which gives us a couple of thousand bunches for the farmers’ market,” says Janelle. “Red Jewel is our main variety this year — it’s a medium sized round radish with a snowy-white interior. We’ll plant Sparkler, round red with white tips, typically spicier, French Breakfast and Champion. They grow in 22-25 days, or so it says in the catalogue. In 2010 we seeded on April 8, and we harvested May 18,” says Janelle.

“People either love or hate radishes. Some people are so excited to see them, they buy four bunches. I think, ‘ok what are you going to do with those?’

“I’m not really a radish person,” says Janelle, “but every year I eat a fresh radish to remind me how to describe the juicy taste. My five-year-old daughter loves radishes.”

Radishes are high in calcium and come in a range of colours and sizes. Buy radishes that look juicy, without cracks. The leaves are quite edible, but can be sandy — rinse thoroughly. Use in a salad like you would mizumi or other leaves from the mustard family.

Five easy things to do with fresh radishes:

  1. Make radish butter: add chopped or grated radishes to softened butter, season to taste and spread on a cold roast beef sandwich. Or drizzle over steamed green beans or asparagus.
  2. Slice on a sandwich with avocado or puréed, jarred artichokes to lighten and brighten.
  3. Make a slaw.
  4. Add to feta for a crunchy dip.
  5. Add to a salad roll.

A mandoline is a handy thing to have for slicing radishes thinly and evenly, or use the Japanese version — a Benriner. Really don’t want to slice with a knife? Use the large holes on a grater.

Radish recipes: