Category: Radishes

This is a delicious, fresh dish and it’s a good template. Use whatever vegetables and herbs you have/like. You will likely have sauce left over which is good with cold noodles, leftover rice or chicken, roasted vegetables, etc.  ... Read more »

The Nicoise Salad template, if you will, lends itself to year-round adaptations. I never miss the green beans and tomatoes when I make this, or a similar version, in the dead of winter. Quantities can be adapted to suit your needs and can be varied in all ways. You just want enough dressing for everything so scale that up if you’re using more vegetables.  ... Read more »

This sauce is inspired by my friend Bryant Terry's Spicy Mustard Greens in his book Afro-Vegan. I've changed it quite a bit but the combination of flavors is mostly his and it's such a treat to find a jar of this in your fridge. I, as Bryant suggests, stir some into rice or couscous I'm cooking but I also love it on toast (with a little goat cheese if you'd like) or with beans or tossed with roasted vegetables or with eggs.   I started making this with radish and turnips tops I needed to use up--I was purchasing lots of radishes and turnips for a series of cooking classes and the greens weren't going to keep that long so I turned them into this sauce (which  keeps well for 4-5 days) and you could certainly use most any leafy green you can think of and in any combination.    ... Read more »

This pesto came about much in the same way this radish top version did. I use a combination of blanched greens and fresh herbs to make a quick pesto-like sauce. In this case I dressed spaghetti with it and it had a nice kick from red pepper flakes and did include a little cheese, which the radish top version does not.   Use whatever combination of greens and tender, leafy herbs (not sage or rosemary) and see what you get. I particularly like adding sorrel to this for its nice tart flavor. This is a wonderful way to work through a lot of leafy greens that, in the case of radish tops, don't tend to keep very well.   You can spread this pesto on salmon, toss it with warm lentils or beans, stir some into eggs, spread on a sandwich mixed with mayo or goat cheese (or as is), or garnish a soup with it, etc.  Or you can toss it with pasta, as I've done here for an ultra quick meal.   The pesto will keep for about 3 days in the fridge.... Read more »

I had a large bunch of radish greens leftover from a cooking class, as well as 4-5 leaves of chard and half a bunch of cilantro. I needed a potluck dish and had sweet potatoes in the house. A new favorite dish was born! I would think most any combination of blanched greens and leafy herbs would be good. Toasted almonds or hazelnuts would be great in place of the walnuts if that's what you have.... Read more »

In typical fashion, this dish came about because I had asparagus, radish tops and snap peas on hand and was in a bit of a hurry and needed to make a one-dish dinner. My son also loves risotto and I can pack it full of most vegetables and he'll devour it. And by all means use whatever vegetables or herbs you have on hand instead of this particular combination. Just add the vegetables in sequence if they have different cooking times. If you have veggie bouillon or some other stock or broth on hand this really is a quick dinner--30 minutes, start to finish. ... Read more »

Chimichurri is a bright, vinegary, herb-packed sauce that originated in Argentina and is served with all that grilled beef. It's a really versatile sauce and a close cousin to the Italian Salsa Verde of which I'm equally fond.   In this version I used the  fresh radish tops that came in my CSA recently to replace some of the more typically used herbs and put the tops to good use. ... Read more »

Radishes add a juicy crunch and sweet peppery flavor to this springy salad for which you can use any kind of salad green you have--arugula, lettuces, mizuna, sorrel, tender kale or chard or beet thinnings etc.... Read more »

This is a lovely, fresh and quick salad that’s creamy, crunchy and hearty enough for a lunch or as a light supper with another salad or egg (or fish/meat) dish on the side.   4 servings... Read more »

  I originally made with just with radishes but turnips and bok choy and green garlic are all at home here. You can add thinly sliced, quickly broiled beef to this and serve it over rice for a complete meal. It would be lovely with most any grilled fish or tofu . . .. The lemon juice and the mint really add something here, taking it from a fine but uninteresting stir-fry to something a bit more vibrant. Toasted sesame seeds would be a nice addition too.... Read more »

Italians make many versions of this simple dish. It is suited to spring time and the tender green (and sometimes leafy) produce that starts showing up in the markets.   The veggies, in typical Italian style, are not left al dente (like pasta is) but are cooked through and sometimes even mashed up a bit to really blend the flavors. You can finish with fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon juice or simply with salt, pepper and a little more olive oil.  Serve alongside fish, or top it with a fried or poached egg or toss it with pasta or just with some crusty bread and cheese for a light dinner.... Read more »

The sweetness of the turnips is nicely complemented by the bite of mustard greens and radishes and the peanuts add a little crunch and heft. You could certainly add herbs or other vegetables to the salad. It's just a good, quick, template. The peanut oil is really nice here but if you don't have it you could substitute a neutral oil and add 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil.     ... Read more »

I had a green salad dressed with a light peanut sauce at Smallwares (a restaurant in NE Portland) a few years ago which inspired me to create this one. I’ve never tossed a green salad with this kind of dressing and was delighted to discover the combination.   This is another CSA Heavy Hitter recipe in that you can adapt the salad and sauce ingredients to suit your taste/what you have in the fridge and pantry. You can make the sauce spicier, you can add different vegetables, and so on and so forth.... Read more »

  This is a very adaptable salad (template). Substitute vegetables and herbs as you wish just be sure to chop everything quite small. This is a good dinner salad on a warm night especially if you add cooked beans, cheese and/or toasted seeds or nuts or cooked chicken.   This makes a lot of salad so feel free halve the recipe. I load mine up with herbs—mint, parsley, cilantro, chives and thyme. The more the better!... Read more »

This salad is a perfect accompaniment to some simply grilled or pan-fried fish of your choosing. You can use any fairly mild onion in this salad. ... Read more »

There are several versions of Okonomiyaki and this one traditionally includes minced dried shrimp which I omit since I don’t typically stock dried shrimp. You can make several very large pancakes, the size of the pan, and cut them in wedges or make them more typically pancake-sized. The sauce is nothing more than mayonnaise, Sriracha (or chili sauce of your choice) and soy sauce and it improves everything it touches.   Yields about 14 4-5 inch pancakes.... Read more »

A quick, not-very-authentic version of this Japanese stir-fried noodle dish with lots of bok choy, garlic and green onions. Use additional or other vegetables, like carrots, peppers, cabbage, peas, broccoli or other leafy greens. It's a good template. You can also add diced tofu or leftover meat of any kind.  ... Read more »

  This is a very herb-heavy variation of my favorite Asian noodle salad.I like this tossed with lots of toasted peanuts which turns it into a light meal-in-one for a hot summer night. You can also use fewer vegetables and really focus on the herbs. This looks like a long, complicated recipe but it is not. Shake up the dressing, cook noodles, wash herbs and cut a few vegetables and you are there.... Read more »

Peppery arugula and/or mizuna, radishes and herbs pair well with a flatiron steak (also knows as top-blade) or flank steak, a tender, very flavorful and fairly thin cut. It’s best either grilled or cooked on the stovetop to medium rare. For this dish you can either toss the thinly sliced steak with the greens and dressing or simply serve the sliced steak along side the salad. The generous amount of parsley, used like a salad green itself here, and the arugula and mizuna make for a vibrant and complex dish. Serve with roasted potatoes, good crusty bread, etc.  ... Read more »

Arugula and fennel have a certain similarity. Both, eaten plain with no dressing (or other treatment) can be very strong and pronounced, but dressed they play much more nicely with others and taste better (to me) themselves. I have experimented with this combination over the years and really enjoy it.... Read more »