Radish
Raphanus sativus
Similar vegetables
Turnips, daikon, black radish
A quick introduction
Radishes are one of the fastest-growing crops we grow in the garden. We often interplant them with other crops (meaning two crops grow in the same bed) because they are so small and often fit in among slow-growing crops. They have a short harvesting window after which they become woody (this is hard to detect from the outside, so bear with us if you happen find a woody radish in your CSA box). We mostly grow standard looking radishes that are round and pink but also have a few odd-looking favourites such as the large, white and pointy shaped 'IJskegels' and the white and pink 'French Breakfast' radishes. Radish leaves are edible and can even be eaten raw when very young (at a later stage they become a little hairy and are best enjoyed cooked).
Storage
Radishes are one of the fastest-growing crops we grow in the garden. We often interplant them with other crops (meaning two crops grow in the same bed) because they are so small and often fit in among slow-growing crops. They have a short harvesting window after which they become woody (this is hard to detect from the outside, so bear with us if you happen find a woody radish in your CSA box). We mostly grow standard looking radishes that are round and pink but also have a few odd-looking favourites such as the large, white and pointy shaped 'IJskegels' and the white and pink 'French Breakfast' radishes. Radish leaves are edible and can even be eaten raw when very young (at a later stage they become a little hairy and are best enjoyed cooked).
Season
Remove the greens from the radishes as soon as you unpack your vegetable box. Leaving the leaves on will result in shriveled and dried-up radishes after a few days. Both the radishes and the leaves keep best in a closed container in the fridge.
Suggestions for preparation
Radishes are made for salads and we try to add them to our CSA box together with some kind of salad green. Getting the timing right on this is more difficult than it sounds, so sometimes you might have to make a radish-only salad. In that case, pairing it with feta or with mint will give delicious results (see recipe below). Radish leaves are edible and very similar to turnip leaves. We like to serve them sautéed with a little garlic and ginger, accompanied by a hearty dal (Indian lentil stew / soup) and rice (see recipe for a dal below).
Recipes
Roasted radishes (leaves and all) with freekeh
Spanakopita with radish (and or turnip) leaves
Make a hearty dal and serve with garlic and ginger sautéed radish and turnip leaves
Radish salad with mint and parsley