Vegetable of the Week: Radishes!

First up, a great vegan snack with avocado and toast from Blissful Basil:

SPRINGTIME AVOCADO AND RADISH TOASTS

Seeded bread is toasted to perfection and slathered with creamy lime-splashed avocado. The toasts are topped off with sliced radishes and sprouts to add a peppery and balancing bite. This open-faced sandwich is simple, easy to pack for lunch, and incredibly satisfying.

Ingredients
2 pieces of sunflower bread or other sprouted/seeded bread
1 avocado
1 lime
sea salt
2-3 radishes
handful of microgreens | I used watercress sprouts
Optional toppings: olive oil, maldren salt + black pepper
Make A Quick & Easy Ranch Spinach Dip

Instructions
Toast the bread.
Halve the avocado and scoop the flesh into a small bowl. Halve the lime and squeeze the juice over the avocado. Add in a pinch of sea salt, to taste. Using a fork, smash the avocado until a creamy mixture forms.
Using a mandolin or sharp knife, thinly slice the radishes.
Slather each piece of toast with the smashed avocado, layer the radish slices, and sprinkle the sprouts on top. If desired, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Serve and enjoy!

Radishes are vegetables that some people like and some people don’t. Some don’t quite know what to do with them but they are full of delicious texture and flavor and can be used in a variety of ways. Here are some suggestions.

Pickled Radishes
With Spring now here it’s the perfect time to start pickling, especially if you want to preserve a little crunch for the colder months later on. Radishes are great to pickle because of their sharp flavor. Like garlic, they work really well with vinegars and pickling spices. First, we visit Garden Therapy and their recipe for pickled radishes.

Ingredients

1 bunch thinly sliced round radishes
3/4 cup water
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
3 tablespoons honey
2 whole, peeled garlic cloves
Easy Pickled Radishes Recipe

Directions

1. Heat up everything but the garlic and radishes in a small saucepan until everything is dissolved.

2. Pack clean canning jars with thinly sliced radishes and a clove of garlic. Pour hot liquid to cover and let cool.

3. The radishes are ready to eat after 24 hours. Store in the fridge for up to 3-4 weeks.

Next up – A sweet way to serve radishes from Pinch of Yum:

CINNAMON SUGAR RADISH CHIPS
Author: Pinch of Yum
Serves: 2-3

INGREDIENTS
10-15 radishes
1 tbs. olive oil
½ tbs. honey
1-2 tbs. cinnamon sugar mixture

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350ºF. Slice the radishes approximately ¼ inch thick and put them in a microwave safe bowl. When you are done slicing, microwave for about 30 seconds to soften them up. Drain any liquid, and add them to a larger bowl.

Add the olive oil, honey, and cinnamon sugar. Mix well to coat all of the radishes. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Make sure they are evenly spread out and not stacked on top of each other.
Cook for 15 minutes at 350, then remove the radishes and flip them over. Reduce oven temperature to 225 and bake for another 20 minutes. You will notice they will begin to shrink in size and crisp up, which is a good thing! Remove from the oven, plate and serve.