Ready for Radishes

By Lori Powell
For One or Two Bites, a blog for singles and couples

One of my favorite late-afternoon snacks at this time of the year when the weather starts to heat up is radishes, spread with a little high-quality unsalted butter at room temperature and sprinkled with flaked sea salt. The natural peppery bite of the radish offers a great contrast to the sweet, creamy butter.

I keep radishes at the ready by cleaning them, trimming the stems (keeping a little bit on the end as a handle) and storing them in a container in water in the fridge, covered. This way, they keep crisp and cold. Also, you always have something on hand for an impromptu visit from a friend or neighbor. Simply pat the radishes dry and cut them in half, if desired.

The radish is a cousin of mustard and horseradish, hence their zippy, peppery bite. They are a good source of fiber, folate, and potassium. Just a half-cup serving will gain you 14% of your daily value of vitamin C. So eat up and enjoy the crunch!

There are many summer varieties of radishes. Here are some of my favorites to look out for. I picked them for their taste and appearance:

• Easter egg, which is not a variety but a mix of radishes that are perfect, round globes and are aptly named, due to their lovely colors of white, purple, pink and red
• French breakfast radish, which is elongated in shape; these radishes are red-skinned with a splash of white at the root end
• White icicle, which is a small white carrot-shaped radish that is mild in flavor
• Plum purple, which is round and – you guessed it – a gorgeous shade of bright purple
• Bunny tail from Italy, which is a small heirloom radish that’s red with a white-tipped rootlet that is mild in flavor; it has great crunch
• Cherry Belle and Champion are both round red globes with a white interior

Here are some easy butters you can make in minutes to serve with radishes.

Sesame Miso Butter
Makes about 1/3 cup
8 tablespoons (1/4 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1-1/2 tablespoons white or golden miso to taste
3/4 teaspoon sesame oil
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon golden or black sesame seeds, toasted

1. Mix together butter, miso and sesame oil in a bowl with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep chilled, covered, until ready to serve. Bring to room temperature and sprinkle with sesame seeds before serving.
2. Serve with radishes or other crisp vegetables.

Spicy Blue Cheese Butter
Makes about 1/3 cup
8 tablespoons (1/4 pound) unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Sriracha or hot sauce, to taste
Salt and pepper

1. Mix together all ingredients in a bowl with a fork. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep chilled, covered, until ready to serve and bring to room temperature before serving.
2. Serve with radishes or other crisp vegetables.

Wasabi Avocado Butter
Makes about 3/4 cup
1 avocado, halved, pitted and mashed
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon wasabi paste, or to taste
Salt

• Mix together all ingredients in a bowl with a fork. Season with salt, to taste. Cover the surface of the avocado butter with plastic wrap to keep air out and prevent browning. Chill up to 4 hours until ready to serve. Serve chilled or at room temperature
• Serve with radishes or other crisp vegetables.

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