RADISH, I love radishes. We grew them in our “Victory Garden,” as gardens were referred to during the world war two years.
Radishes were idolized by the Egyptian and Greek cultures and in Mexico they even celebrate these root vegetable at their ‘Radish Festival’.
Radishes may be small but they are packed with nutritional power to include Vitamin B, C, sulfur, iron and iodine. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties it is known to have a positive effect on asthma symptoms, whooping-cough, gastric discomfort, gallbladder problems, arthritis, gallstones, and kidney stones.
Radish comes from the Latin word, radix, meaning ‘to root’. My dad loved the hot radishes, which belong to the mustard family. We called them horse radishes (white) – also known as Daikon – the hot comes from the glucosinolates they contain. Other radish varieties include red, black (have never seen), white and gold (have never seen). When buying any radishes, look for unblemished, bright-colored skin, firmness and with healthy looking leaves. The smaller radishes taste better. It was an exciting day when I learned you can eat the radish leaves. I separate the leaves from the root and store them in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator. I put a paper towel in with the leaves the same as I do when I separate lettuce leaves for storage. This keeps them fresh longer and can be stored this way for 2 -4 weeks.
Clean the radishes in a vinegar bath (to rid them of the pesticides, etc.), rinse in clean water and dry them. Eat them whole or slice them to be put in a salad. Radishes can also be pickled, braised, put on sandwiches, and the leaves can be added to smoothies. (By the way – radish leaves don’t even taste like radishes).
RECIPES:
My Favorites – Braised, and Radish/Avocado Sandwich
BRAISED RADISHES –
2 T Honey
1 T Lemon Juice
1 T Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
1 T Coconut oil
2 Bunches Radishes halved or sliced
1 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 ground pepper
1 T chopped fresh chives
In a small bowl, mix honey, lemon juice and vinegar together with a whisk. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add radishes and saute’ for 2 minutes. Add honey mixture and stir to coat. Reduce heat to medium, cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add salt, pepper and chives. Serve as a side dish. MM Good!
AVOCADO RADISH SANDWICH –
1 whole avocado mashed
1 tsp lemon juice
diced radishes (cut up in smaller than sliced pieces) – as much as you want to add.
Mix the above together. Salt to taste. Spread the mixture over bread rounds. Spray with more lemon juice if you wish to. Eat open-faced.
These are my tests for today. TRY THEM and ENJOY – YUMMY, YUMMY!
FYI-HEALTH TALK 