It has been a great year for radishes which can be ready to eat four weeks from sowing The trend for mixed salads favours them by using the leaves (especially from thinnings) as well as the root.
They have never been universally popular. Mrs Beeton was dismissive. She remarked that radishes are ‘usually eaten raw and should only be eaten by people with good health’. Elizabeth David was little more enthusiastic. A recipe for summer hors d’œuvre from Summer Cooking lists radishes as its first ingredient – ‘a dish of red radishes, cleaned, but with a little of the green leaves left on’ – and then listing green and black olives, round, small tomatoes, ‘not too hard’ boiled eggs cut lengthways and garnished with parsley. ‘Not very original perhaps, but how often does one meet with a really fresh and unmessed hors d’œuvre?’
Radishes are transformed by roasting them in olive oil, a little butter and adding lemon juice or vinegar at the end. They should retain some crunch.
Here is an adventurous recipe based on one from Diana Henry’s book, From the Oven to the Table.
Oven at 190°C
500g radishes
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (DH uses white balsamic vinegar)
1 preserved lemon, plus brine from the jar
10g unsalted butter
1tbsp runny honey
Mint leaves from about six sprigs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Zest or finely slice the rind from the lemon and put to one side.
Wash and tidy the radishes. Keep the leaves.
Halve the radishes lengthways and put them in a roasting pan with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar and one tablespoon of brine from the jar of preserved lemons. Move the radishes around to coat them in the liquid. Dot over the butter and season. Roast for seven minutes.
Add a second tablespoon of brine and the honey to the pan. Again move the radishes around and return to the oven to roast for a further 10 minutes.
Transfer to a warmed serving dish and mix in the radish leaves. Stir in the prepared preserved lemon zest. Tear the mint leaves and scatter these over.
Serve while still a little warm.
