Produce

Ravishing Radishes

Crisp Roots for Every Occasion

By Dan Avakian
Photography by Paul Skrentny

    When I was first starting out in the produce business in the 1970s, there were still plenty of growers who packed their harvests in wooden crates. After unloading the fruits and vegetables, we would stack the empty crates along the outside fence to be picked up by an old man named Andrew who brought them back to the remaining local farms for reuse. (This recycling would continue until the crates were completely worn out.) Every once in a while, Andrew would miss our stop, and we would have to take the crates out to the farms ourselves. I always volunteered for the task, because it involved shuttling a few crates of greens and radishes back to the store. There’s nothing like chomping on a fresh radish right out of the ground—crisp, hot and mighty tasty. I’d eat a good handful on my way back.
    Today, those local farms are gone, though radishes are still grown in other areas of the state. The most common variety of the crunchy vegetable is the red globe, carried by most grocery stores loose by the pound or bunched. The red globe has a snappy, peppery flavor that tastes great in salads and salsas. Another popular variety is the daikon radish, which is used mainly in Asian cooking. This radish is long and white and can get quite large—I’ve seen them weigh up to 5 pounds, but for prime flavor, try to select one the size of a large carrot. The flavor is milder than the red radish, which makes it perfect for salads or a relish plate. Another benefit of this milder variety is that it can cook for a lengthy period of time without losing its texture.
    A slightly more difficult find is the black radish, which is usually carried by specialty stores during the winter. It has a white interior and leathery black skin, which gives it a long shelf life. When this radish is fresh, it ranges from hot to very hot, and as it ages, it becomes bitter and pungent. Some cultures prepare the black radish the same way they would a turnip: cooked, creamed or mashed.
    The Easter egg radish comes to us in multicolored bunches at springtime. It is round like the globe radish and similar in size, ranging in color from a deep crimson red to a purplish-pink all the way to a stark white. The flavor is mild, which makes it a good choice for veggie platters. Another radish that is abundant in spring is the French breakfast variety, also known as Flambo. It is an elongated root that is red at the top, turning white closer to the tip. The flavor is peppery and hot, similar to that of other small varieties. A rare treat in late summer is an heirloom variety grown by West Sacramento-based Del Rio Botanical called Italian scarlet long—a deep red carrot-shaped radish that has a rich, mild flavor and a tender yet crisp texture.
    My favorite radish is the watermelon radish, which grows up to 3 1/2 inches in diameter. The flavor is mild, yet peppery with a hint of sweetness. The exterior is a white and green surface, and when cut in half, the root resembles a cut watermelon—a deep pinkish-red circled by a murky green outer ring. It makes an absolutely gorgeous presentation on a crudités platter and, because of its mild, sweet flavor, can usually be stomached by most folks at the party.