Radishes are as fun to grow as they are to eat. Seeds sprout quickly and the vegetable matures to picking in less than a month, making them a perfect garden project for the whole family.
Select seeds that produce radishes in a variety of shapes and sizes, and with varying intensities of the classic peppery bite.
Whether grown in your own home garden or picked up at the grocery store, radishes make eating vegetables fun for small fry. Adding some classic dips make the meal interactive and other vegetables can be slipped it too.
Radishes with a Trio of Dips
Green Goddess Dip
Ingredients
½ cup top-quality mayonnaise
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons minced fresh tarragon
Instructions
1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
2. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Blue Cheese Dip
Ingredients
½ cup crumbled blue cheese
¼ cup sour cream
3 tablespoons finely chopped green onion, white and pale green parts
2 tablespoons whole milk, plus more if needed
Salt
Instructions
1. Stir together the blue cheese, sour cream and green onion until well blended, pressing on the blue cheese chunks with the back of the spoon to break them up.
2. Stir in the milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, enough to make a dippable, not-too-chunky consistency.
3. Season to taste with salt.
4. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Romesco Dip
Ingredients
1 small red bell pepper
½ cup chopped tomato
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
¼ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Salt
Instructions
1. Roast the red pepper under the broiler until the skin blackens, turning occasionally to roast evenly, 12 to 15 minutes. Put the pepper in a plastic bag, tie it closed and set aside to cool.
2. When cool enough to handle, peel away and discard the skin. Remove the core and seeds and chop the pepper.
3. Combine the roasted pepper, tomato, almond, olive oil, garlic and vinegar in a food processor and process until smooth. If the mixture is thick, add a tablespoon or two of water.
4. Season to taste with salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Radishes
Instructions
1. Trim the greens to about 1 inch in length.
2. Rinse the radishes well and dry on paper towels. Large radishes can be cut in half, carefully cutting them so that the green tops are halved as well.
To serve, spoon sauces into bowls and arrange the radishes on a platter or tray, with the dip bowls around the radishes.
Recipes from “Gourmet Game Night” by Cynthia Nims, 2010, Ten Speed Press, available through online booksellers.
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