Conscious Choice: Beauty and the Bite

October 2008 | Healthy Living :: Savor the Season

Beauty and the Bite

By Terra Brockman

October is full of opposites. It is the month of the Harvest Moon, the time of maximum bounty and also the time of the killing frosts. It ushers in the gray days of winter while enlivening the palate, and the palette of your plate, with the bright oranges of squashes and sweet potatoes and the lovely colors of winter radishes from basic black, to classic white, to the unearthly fuschia of the roseheart radish. All winter radishes — the daikon, roseheart, salad rose, black radish and German beer radish — are good in salads, but truly wonderful when roasted, sautéed, or cooked in soups and stir-fries.

Winter radishes are the original radishes, valued not only for their taste, but for the fact that they keep well all winter long. Now is the time to stock up on root vegetables in general, and winter radishes in particular. All roots store much better, for much longer, with the tops off. So buy these beautiful babies up, compost the tops and put the roots in a bag in the vegetable drawer of your refrigerator. They’ll be happy there for months.

Even people who say they do not like radishes cannot resist the roseheart, also known as Beauty Heart, Misato Rose, or Watermelon Radish. When sliced, these radishes may resemble an abstract watermelon (green exterior, red interior), but from a distance they are most often thought to be turnips. Upon closer inspection, you see that, unlike a turnip, the white exterior has moss-green shoulders and a touch of pink near the root. Slice one open and stand back. The deep fuschia interior is breathtaking, and so sweet and crunchy that the radish can be peeled and eaten raw like a fruit. When cooked, however, it becomes even sweeter and meltingly delicious. I like to toss them in the roasting pan with other root vegetables, or chunk them into soups and stews.

After starting your winter radish habit with the roseheart, move on to the other winter radishes:

The Black Radish or Spanish Radish has a sooty black exterior and a pure white interior. Do not peel this thin-skinned radish, as the black on white is quite lovely. While most recipes call for the radish to be marinated or put into stir-fries or soups, I love to simply place a round of this radish atop a bagel with cream cheese.

Daikon are a Japanese radish with a crisp, juicy, white flesh. They have a medium bite when raw, but are very mellow when cooked. Raw daikon can be grated, slivered, diced, or sliced to add its crunch and zip to relishes and salads. Stir-fried daikon slices, strips, or cubes are turnipy-sweet. Chunks of daikon boiled briefly in miso or another broth make a mild and delicious soup.

Salad Rose is a long red radish that looks like a small red daikon, and can be used similarly. It is especially good in soups or stews, where chunks or slices of it will sweeten the whole while absorbing the flavorful cooking liquid. It is best to add them in the last 5 to 15 minutes of cooking so as not to overcook.

The German Beer Radish is a large conical root that looks very much like a turnip. But it is peppery radish that is great salted and eaten as a snack with, yes, beer.

Winter Radish Salad

3-4 large winter radishes, any variety, peeled and sliced paper thin

1/4 cup coarse salt

1-1/2 cups vegetable oil

1/2 cup wine vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place radish slices in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt. Cover with a heavy plate and refrigerate overnight.

2. Drain off all the liquid and wash in cold water in a colander. The slices will be transparent and tender.

3. Prepare a dressing by combining the oil, wine vinegar, salt and pepper, and pour over the radishes. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Add soy sauce and sesame oil if you want to give the salad an Asian twist.

Terra Brockman is the founder of The Land Connection, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving farmland, training new farmers, and connecting consumers with local food. Visit thelandconnection.org to learn more. She helps her family raise organic fruits and vegetables in central Illinois. Visit henrysfarm.com.

Recommend this page to a friend

Top Ten pages recommended to friends: