How do you feel about radishes? These days I’m pretty obsessed. I’ve been adding them to my stellar buttermilk potato salad (recipe coming next week!), tossing them with greens, feta, cucumber, and a creamy herb dressing, and layering them over buttered bread, then dressing them up just a little with a smattering of sea salt and chopped garlic chives for an easy three-minute workday lunch. In essence, I adore them.
I can’t say that’s always been the case, though. I didn’t grow up eating a lot of radishes. They weren’t found in a package with printed directions so I don’t think anyone knew what to do with them. I’m kidding; sort of. I do remember noticing them in a basic garden salad when we went to friend’s homes for dinner, and I think at some point someone in my household planted a vegetable garden and grew a bunch, maybe two. But, what sticks in my mind the most, is that no one knew what to do with the ruby orbs, despite the fact that they were always around.
I’ve told you this story because I’m participating in The Canadian Food Experience Project, along with 50 other Canadian food bloggers. For the next year we’ll be sharing stories of Canadian culture and cuisine, and in June we’re all offering a Canadian food memory. Because more than 13,000 tonnes (or 28,652,000 pounds!) of radishes are grown in this fine country each month, I thought this pretty root vegetable was deserved its due.
Also, the colours couldn’t be more Canadian, don’t you think?
Radish Tartines
There is no real recipe for this. Slather hunks of bread with creamy unsalted butter and layer thin slices of radish over top. Garnish with a coarse sea salt and chopped garlic chives. In addition to a simple lunch, these also make for an easy, seasonal appetizer for any summer party you might be hosting.
P.S. The other tartines you see above are made with goat cheese, chopped strawberries, basil, and fresh ground black pepper.
Jan... it must be the generation gap between you and me... as radishes were a profound gift each spring at our house made in exactly this manner. Mom would yank the first few out of the garden that were big enough to be sliced, wash them well, and slice them very thinly over buttered white bread, then sprinkle them with salt. She would eat them all herself... after one bite, I was happy about that. My young palate couldn't handle that heat, so subtle to a mature palate. I do exactly the same. I have a post on it, too... French Breakfast Radishes... oh, my. The radish celebration that I did participate in was the first potato salad of the season would be made only after there were enough radishes to go in it. I cannot imagine a homemade potato salad to this day, without radishes. This is the unwrap and zap generation. I am an Andy Warhol poster child. We ate and cooked from scratch daily... but, one's social status was linked to how many flavours of Campbell's soup one had in the cupboard, and how many varieties of Kraft dressing one had in the fridge. It appears you came just after that... probably near the time my own children were born when fast foods reared their head for the first time. Great, quick, seasonal recipe. I would normally be headed out to pick radishes and make this right now - but we had a long winter and everything in the garden is late this year.
:)
Valerie
Posted by: A Canadian Foodie | 06/09/2013 at 11:28 AM