Fun with Radishes

Do you ever stand in the check out line at Target and suddenly have to buy a People magazine or some fancy new brand of Tic-Tacs? An impulse buy, right? Well this Saturday Joe from the Lomax Incubator Farm at Atherton had these beautiful red radishes. They had long heads and were just gorgeous amidst all of the greens and peppers the farm is producing right now so of course I had to buy them.

But what does someone who can't eat lettuce, and thus doesn't make salads, do with two giant radishes? The answer is a lot. Radishes are a somewhat neutral flavor but they have a great crispness that is a great addition to dishes that might otherwise be a little dull. Here are two ways that I used these hearty fall veggies. The mushrooms I got from Cotton Barn mushrooms at Atherton Market, the eggplant you can get from several but it's almost done for the year now that the weather is really cooling off.

Radish Stir Fry (V)
1 large radish, sliced in half long ways then in 1/4 slices
4-5 large mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup cubed egg plant
1/2 cup onion, sliced
1/4 cup soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons olive oil

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions and saute 1-2 minutes alone
2. Add mushrooms, egg plant and radishes. 
3. Heat on high until you see a little color on the veggies which means they're done.
4. Serve with your favorite starch or carb!

I served the stir fry with quinoa - delish!

Radish Salad (V)
1 large radish, sliced in half long ways then in 1/4 slices
 1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
1-2 carrots, sliced
1 tomato, sliced
1/4 cup cucumber, sliced thinly
Mushrooms to taste, sliced thinly
(Dressing: 3 parts olive oil, 1 part  balsamic vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste)

1. Toss all ingredients together.
2. Chill for 1 hour before serving.