From the backyard to the table: Radishes
First, a little background. I used to be the worst vegetarian ever. I stopped eating meat, officially, at 15 years old or so. Some people don't like onions - I didn't like meat. My motives for being a vegetarian continue to change and evolve as I get older - but that's not what this post is about. This post is about the fact that I used to only eat bread and cheese. If you were to photograph my food up until last year it would be a sea of beiges, browns and orange.
This post is about the fact that I bought some radishes at the farmers market a few weeks ago and let them go bad in my fridge. Because I didn't know what to do with them. I've NEVER had them. I had some sort of fantasy that my week would be filled with fresh salads topped with radishes - that never happened.
But, then... nature y'all. I grew these radishes from a little seed and by GOD I was going to eat them. I figured smothering them in eggs and cheese was a good way to start.
Asparagus and Radish Tart
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c cold butter
1 c garlic goat cheese (or any cheese of your liking - this is what I had on hand)
1/2 c heavy cream, divided
4 egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
1 small bunch of radishes, sliced thin (I grew the French breakfast variety)
1/2 bunch of asparagus, cut into 1 in. pieces
Ingredients in green are local, orange is from my backyard garden
Preheat your oven to 425f. Dump your flour in a food processor or bowl. Cut in your butter until coarse. Pour in 1/4 c cream and stir until all part are moistened. (This was a disaster for me - I didn't trust that the mix was moist enough - so I added a little milk, but too much. Then I had to keep on adding flour until I got it to the right consistency. So if you're dough isn't moist enough just add 1 tbs. of cream or milk at a time.) Turn the dough into a 9-inch pan (I used a square one - but you can use round). With floured fingers press the mix into the bottom and sides of the pan. Prick the shell with a floured fork. Bake the pie shell for 10-12 minutes. Take out and let cool for a few minutes (in the pan) on a wire rack.
Lower the oven temp. to 325f. Layer in the cheese first on top of the somewhat cooled crust. Layer half of your cut asparagus and thinly sliced radishes on top of the cheese. Beat together the egg yolks and 1/4c of remaining cream. Pour into pie crust. Sprinkle the remaining asparagus and radishes on top. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until set.
Because of my dough fiasco I think my crust was much more like a biscuit than a crust - but hey, it was delish.
my favorite way to eat them is raw with a bit of butter and salt, yum!
I love radishes. I'm with Sara above too. They're also great atop a buttered and salted slice of baguette. I think I lived an entire summer on baguettes with brie and baguette with radishes and butter. :)
Cristina - I'm always sold when bageuttes are involved. Do you broil the radishes on top of the baguette? Or toast and butter the baguette and add raw radishes on top?
Amen to the radishes with sweet butter and sea salt! That's the way the French eat them and it is delish! Also, I've heard sauteed radishes are fab but I've never tried... Bravissima! xx
radish + avocado + sour dough/ciabatta/any european bread + salt and pepper = love on a plate.
That is just stunning! I love colorful food.
raw radish, cut the top in a cross, smash butter into the cross and sprinkle with salt, yum!
I recently was introduced to watermelon radishes. Best thing ever!
But I am one of the strange people who do not like meat. I grew up on lamb but in Texas....yeah, no such thing. So I just didn't like it and still don't. Never had an urge to eat a piece of steak, not my thing. Hard to explain to people that I am not a vegetarian, just not a meat eater.
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