Radishes veggie worthy of love

Consider me a convert to the simple red radish, with all credit going to Paul Berglund, executive chef of the Bachelor Farmer in Minneapolis.

For decades, I had deliberately ignored the bite-size vegetable that appeared on countless relish trays at family gatherings.

Never mind that it also found its way as an afterthought sprinkled on the occasional dish for added color. A few bitter nibbles early on must have convinced me that radishes were not my cup of tea. I never gave them another thought, or taste.

Then the Bachelor Farmer opened its doors. Front and center on the dinner table, a relish tray landed with a handful of cherry red radishes and a mound of coarse salt.

I knew what to do, remembering what my Norwegian grandparents had done at the table years before: Dip the radish in the salt.

It was love at first bite. I reached for another, and, by the end of the meal, I was parched from all the salt, but happy.

Since then I’ve gone a bit radish wild. There’s usually a bunch in my refrigerator crisper, ready to be added to salad (where they are definitely not an afterthought) or sprinkled in stir-fries, and added to sandwiches or omelets. You get the idea. Those little vegetables are versatile.

Berglund agrees. “To me the radish is such a humble but exciting vegetable because it’s invigorating and refreshing. It’s one of my favorite vegetables.”

His epiphany came about a decade ago while visiting an Iowa farm, where dinner included freshly harvested radishes braised in a bit of butter with a sprinkle of salt. “It was heavenly,” he said. “You experience the radish in a completely different way when it’s cooked. Instead of the bracing spiciness, there is more sweetness and more vegetable notes.”

Berglund grows two varieties of radishes — French Breakfast and Cherriettes — atop his North Loop restaurant. He no longer serves them in a relish tray, but, while in season, the baby vegetables appear in various ways as a kind of culinary surprise for guests.

Roasting them is one of Berglund’s favorite ways to eat radishes. If the vegetable is larger than a quarter, he cuts it to that size, then tosses all with olive oil and salt, and roasts the radishes in a 400-degree oven, turning them every once in a while until they are caramelized on the outside. He adds them to salads and appetizers, or serves them alongside grilled meat, with the addition of chopped fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon.

“It’s the lowliness of the radish I’m drawn to,” Berglund said. “It’s not foie gras, not rib-eye steak. It’s just a radish. And it’s incredibly delicious.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Creamy Radish Dip

Makes about 2 cups.

From “Fresh Farm Nation,” by Martha Holmberg.

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced, optional

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce; more as needed

1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1/8 teaspoon paprika

Dash of hot sauce, optional

Kosher salt

1 cup finely chopped radishes

1/4 cup finely chopped green onions, white and light green parts only

Fresh vegetables and crackers, for serving

Put the cream cheese, butter, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, celery salt, paprika, hot sauce and salt to taste into a medium bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined (you can also use a mixer on low speed, if you like). Stir in radishes and green onions. Chill for several hours to allow the flavors to blend.

Taste and add more salt, Worcestershire sauce or hot sauce, if needed, but be careful not to let the Worcestershire sauce overwhelm the delicate flavors. Serve with fresh vegetables and crackers.

Radish Butter

Serves a lot.

From “The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern,” by Matt Lee and Ted Lee.

1/2 pound round red radishes, trimmed, at room temperature

6 tablespoon unsalted butter, completely softened

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or 1/2 teaspoon Maldon salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground white or black pepper

About 24 thinly sliced rye toast points, unsalted crackers or celery sticks

Put the radishes in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the radish is chopped into very fine dice, 4 or 5 (3-second) pulses. Transfer contents to a length of cheesecloth or a double thickness of paper towels and wring out excess liquid.

Transfer to a medium bowl and add 4 tablespoons butter. With a rubber spatula, cream radish and butter together, adding more butter 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture comes together in a smooth, pliable mass.

Transfer mixture to a 2-cup ramekin or bowl, sprinkle salt and pepper over top, and serve immediately. (The butter will keep, covered with plastic, in refrigerator for up to 2 days. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before serving to let it soften. Sprinkle the salt and freshly ground pepper over the radish butter before serving.)

Butter-braised Radishes

Serves 4.

From “How to Cook Everything” by Mark Bittman.

2 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon canola or other neutral oil

1 pound radishes, more or less, trimmed

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup chicken, beef or vegetable stock, or white wine

1 tablespoon balsamic or other vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

Minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Combine butter and oil in medium to large skillet that can later be covered; turn heat to medium. When butter melts, add radishes and cook, stirring, until they are coated with butter, just a minute or two longer. Season with salt and pepper.

Add stock or wine, vinegar and sugar; stir and cover. Turn heat to low and cook until radishes are barely tender, about 5 minutes.

Uncover and raise heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring, until radishes are glazed and liquid is syrupy, another few minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning, sprinkle with parsley and serve.