The Roasted Radish…who knew? - Simply Home by Beth

“The radishes are ready; the radishes are ready!!”

I remember my grandmother being way-too-excited to harvest her first crop of the year, the radishes. Her excitement was far greater (I felt) than the tiny red bulbs deserved. I wasn’t “sure” about eating radishes, but I enjoyed working side by side with my grandmother as we pulled them from the earth.

The harvest was complete, for now. Soon the Spring lettuce would follow, and the green onions would grow tall, towards the sun. The rest of the garden would have to wait to be planted, for warmer weather had not yet arrived.

The above photo is the garden I’m referring to, quite large, in a corner behind my grandparents’ old farmhouse.

As newlyweds, my parents fixed (as in fixer-upper style) a small summer kitchen behind their parents’ farmhouse, and we lived there until I was four years old. I’ve always loved being outside, playing outside, and as I grew the play turned into “helping” with the “outside” chores. Side by side, I would join my father as he “planted” the garden, he was helping his in-laws, and I was helping him!

When I think of a garden, I remember several things from way back. First, the people I loved the most were devoted to “gardening” and grateful for all it provided. My father, working, hoeing and weeding until it was dark, after working all day at his job, and my grandmother, teaching me, or including me as “we” worked to harvest our crops. Vegetables were washed, shucked, de-stemmed, washed again and packed into canning jars or freezer bags. Everything we pulled from the garden was eaten for dinner, for a snack, given to neighbors or preserved for the winters’ meals.

Looking back, I’m beyond grateful for the life’s-lessons learned on that patch of land.

Do you garden?

Do you have the room for multiple crops, or for just a few favorites to grow?

I don’t have a garden at my current home, “it is not allowed” on a golf course lot. Supposedly, it attracts “wildlife” that interferes with the golfers! Ha!

Living in the city/suburbs, I shop at an Amish Farmers Market, about 6 miles from my home. There I can buy freshly picked, with the dirt still on it! vegetables by the half or full bushel. The prices are reasonable, the quality is high, and the freshness is consistent.

**A Country’s Drive through Amish farmland.**

NOW…. no more strolling down memory lane…. let’s talk about the radish.

I enjoy them raw, rinsed and chilled, with a tiny pinch of salt on them…delicious.

I’m easy to please, a vegetable tray with a radish is fine with me, no need for anything fancy or extra, but when I saw this recipe, I thought, why not? What a great idea!

Roasted Radishes

Ingredients…

2-3 bunches radishes (1-1.5 lb.) trimmed and halved, quartered if large.

1/4 C. avocado oil or other cooking oil of your choice

1 clove garlic, pressed, or 1/2 tsp. garlic powder.

1 Tbs. chopped fresh Rosemary.

Salt, to taste.

Now…

Preheat the oven to 425* F. Line a baking dish with parchment paper
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the radishes and oil and toss well. Add the garlic and rosemary, season lightly with the salt, and toss again.
Pour the seasoned radishes into the lined baking dish and spread out in an even layer. Roast 15 minutes, flip the radishes over, and roast another 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. If desired, turn the oven to broil and broil the radishes for 2-3 minutes for extra crunch.