The diversity of radishes is remarkable, and a trip to the farmers’ market reveals their rainbow potential. In the spring and summer growing season, the spicy bulb can be found in shades of white, purple, pink, black, and green (the watermelon radish is pale green on the outside and a deep magenta within), and in shapes that range from stout and bulbous to long and thin like a delicate icicle. They also vary widely in heat, from mild and slightly sweet to almost painfully peppery.
The easiest thing to do with radishes is to take a baguette, spread it with good quality butter, and layer raw, thinly sliced radishes on top. Sprinkle with salt to taste and you’re done: it’s a surefire snack for yourself, or the easiest appetizer that you can serve at holiday parties. Or, just spread the butter and salt directly on the radishes themselves, eliminating the baguette altogether.
Or go beyond butter and use the vegetable in a myriad of raw or cooked dishes. Try radishes sliced or shredded into salads, fermented into pickles, or cooked into stews, soups, and braises—you can’t go wrong.
This simple garden salad sits on a milky bed of crumbled biezpiens, a soft, fresh cow’s-milk cheese omnipresent throughout Latvia. This recipe details how to make your own, but in its place you can substitute a well-drained ricotta or crumbled queso fresco. Get the recipe for Cucumber and Radish Salad with Fresh Cheese »
This take on okroshka, a classic summer soup named after the Russian word kroshit, meaning “to crumble” uses tangy kefir or buttermilk as a base and is filled with heaps of torn fresh herbs. Grated horseradish and spicy mustard add a gentle backnote to the soup. If you can’t find quail eggs or don’t have the patience to peel them, hard-boil chicken eggs and cut them into quarters. Get the recipe for Chilled Buttermilk Soup with Herbs (Okroshka) »
Gribenes, the deeply-flavored result of cooking chicken skin and onions down in fat—a byproduct of rendering schmaltz—is perfect fodder for schmearing on this crostini from Wise Sons Jewish delicatessen in San Francisco. Get the recipe for Shtetl Toast »
The small flap of meat between the chuck and the rib eye in Wagyu is called the zabuton, meaning “cushion” in Japanese. Nicely marbled with intramuscular fat, the little-known cut—sometimes dubbed a Denver steak—is buttery and rich. Get the recipe for Braised Zabuton with Coffee Beans »
Dashi, an enhanced kelp stock with rich umami flavor, is a staple component of Japanese cooking; it has the remarkable effect of accentuating the flavors of anything cooked in it. Here, it adds depth to a pickle brine from award-winning cookbook author Hiroko Shimbo. We use radishes, but any sturdy vegetables, such as peppers, cauliflower, or onions, will do. Get the recipe for Vegetables Pickled in Kelp Vinegar »
Crisp celery and radishes are lightly pickled in lemon juice in this salad from chef Juan Pablo Mellado Arana of Las Cabras in Santiago, which makes a perfect addition to any heavy Chilean meal.
Ginger, lemongrass, and maple vinegar add a warm base note to this dish, which is packed with root vegetables, and topped with a crisp greens and a poached egg.
