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FOOD OF THE WEEK
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Fast growing healthy little globe vegetable!
 
We harvested the first of these globes this week and expect to have them on our table for the entire summer! Therefore I find it only fitting that Radishes be this week's food of the week...
 
One of the earliest things ready to eat in our garden are these little round red and small elongated whitish radishes that carries quite a bite in our area. My husband has not been able to tone down the heat in them, something in the ground that he hasn't been able to change enough to make them sweet, as they should be. I don't remember them being so hot as a child from our garden. Other parts of the world has these sweet, tangy globes but we contend with these tasty hot ones.
 
Radishes have often been considered more as decoration and garnish than a food, except by those who grow them. Radishes are actually members of the cruciferous (cabbage, etc.) vegetable family and all parts are edible, including the greens. Because they vary in quality, radishes are usually classified as winter or summer plant. Small ones of bold red, pink, purple, white or red and white are usually considered summer radish by some. They may be globe-shaped or elongated, can be fiery hot or tastefully mild.
 
Most common varieties here in the U.S. are usually round, but can also be ovoid, cylindrical, or turnip-like in shape. They can be the familiar red or white, red and white mix, pink, purple, and black; but the flesh is almost always white. However, there are some stunning varieties that have produced such dramatically colored flesh as black and white stripes or red, green, purple, or fuchsia. Mustard oils are responsible for the tangy taste of radishes not the ground they grow in, or so I'm told, but I'm not sure that is correct.  Now I haven't tried or even seen all of those new ones but I'm told they do exist?
 
The most popular, in my part of the world anyway, are red globe radish or Daikon, a general term for a group of long white radishes. So this information is mostly about those two radishes...
 
The Red Globe is low in calories and an abundance of flavor and crunch. Daikon radishes are similar in nutrients to the Red Globe.
 
A good source of Vitamin A, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Pantothenic Acid, Calcium, Iron and Copper, and a very good source of Vitamin C (ounce for ounce about 42% as much as an orange), Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Magnesium and Phosphorus.
 
Radishes are known to relieve indigestion and flatulence, as well as being a good expectorant. Like other cruciferous vegetables, radishes contain sulphurous compounds that have anti-cancer properties. They also contain salicyclates, compounds similar to aspirin and, therefore, should be avoided by those with aspirin sensitivities.
 
The pre-bagged radishes have a longer refrigerator life than those sold with their greens still attached as the greenery leeches nutrients from the bulb.
 
Daikon radishes are said to aid the digestive system, especially in the digestion of fatty foods. It is a common ingredient in Japanese cooking and is always grated and added to tempura dipping sauce. Young daikons can be eaten raw but the larger (more than 8 inches long) ones must be cooked. Always peel daikons. Cut up and simmered in stews and soups, daikon tastes light and refreshing rather than heavy or starchy. Daikons are often cut into paper-thin slices by talented Japanese chefs.
 
Daikon greens are delicious too. They can be washed, stacked, rolled as a scroll, and cut crosswise. This produces thin julienne strips which are traditionally salted and left standing for an hour. The moisture is squeezed out. The leaves are then chopped and stored in glass jars for up to a week in the refrigerator. The Japanese stir them into warm rice, they can also be added to soups and other recipes. Of course my sister-in-law has always cooked the greens of the little red ones as well and added garlic and a splash of lemon juice... very good!
 
Some other varieties of Radishes include:

California Mammoth White; is larger than the White Icicles, oblong in shape, with an average length of eight inches and a slightly pungent flavor.

Chinese Misato Rose; is a round Asian radish about four inches in diameter. Cream and green colored on the outside, it has a beautiful rosy-pink interior.
 


Beauty Heart; is often sold as a red daikon, The 4" round roots have white and green skin, but the magic is in their rose-red center which is so sweet, crisp, and delicious. A good radish to add color to salads and stir-fries; It is grown mainly in China and treated more as a fruit like an Asian pear.

Blanche Transparent; (Transparent White) is a long, small, white radish and important only in the region where it is grown. It is similar to the winter radish in appearance and taste.

Cherry Belle; is round with crisp, white, mild flesh and can be harvested three weeks after planting.
China Rose; is bright red, with white flesh and a good flavor.
 

French Breakfast; is an elongated radish that sports red shoulders and a white tip. It is milder than the red globe, but just as crisp. If left too long, it becomes hot and woody. D'Avignon; very similar to the French Breakfast, is rose-colored with a white tip, crunchy, and extremely hot.

Round Black Spanish; is dark skinned and extremely hot. Long Black Spanish is similar, but long shaped.

Scarlet Globe; is a popular mild variety.
Short Top Forcing; is bright red and excellent for winter sowing under cover.
 

Easter Egg; comes in pastel shades.

 

There are several more little-known varieties but would take too long to cover each one. These are the most common.
 
Since we eat them all raw and fresh I have no recipe so pop them into your mouth or in a salad and enjoy the health benefits...
Lena

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 HEALTH TODAY
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