Tag: radishes

Roasted Radish Medley

April 29, 2016 / Jenny / 24 Comments

The gorgeous colors in this roasted radish medley reflect its deeply satisfying taste. Radishes, baby beets, carrots, and Cipollini onions are roasted in a sauce of honey, olive oil, wine vinegar, and garlic. Roasting brings out a mellow flavor in the vegetables, especially the radishes. The lightly sweet flavors from the carrots and onions are balanced with the distinctively earthy taste of the beets.

It feels good knowing that these vegetables, grown in the earth, contain lots of vitamins and minerals to infuse my body with good energy. And the bright colors make them fun to work with. I know there are many people who don’t like radishes or beets. But when they are roasted in this flavorful sauce with their mellow flavors released from the roasting, and the melt-in-your-mouth texture, they really are delicious, especially when eaten warm, right out of the oven.

I adapted this recipe from one I found in the May/June issue of Victoria magazine. I find that magazine so inspiring, with its beautiful photographs and stories about women who follow their dreams. I only changed a few things in my recipe–I used orange carrots instead of white, and used baby beets instead of Chioggia beets. Also, I used white wine vinegar instead of Champagne vinegar, and my cooking time ended up taking a few minutes longer.

I find that I really enjoy working with vegetables. As I was peeling the skin off of the onions, I was thinking, you can’t really be in a rush to do this job….but then I realized how often I am in a rush–either in a true hurry to get somewhere on time, or a self-imposed rush to get more and more done. I let go of that feeling for a few minutes and peeled the onions, noticing their smell and their texture, and paid attention to the pretty pink hues of the beets and radishes as I washed them. I noticed that the beet stems look like roses. That the stripes in the beets are amazing. In the middle of a day and evening full of obligations and schedules, there was a window of time when I was present with the beauty of nature.

I am still working on posting some meals that can be ready quickly, or made ahead of time to be eaten when hungry people get home from soccer games and track meets….That is also part of my family’s reality. But for today, I am sharing a recipe that gave me a meditation with the vegetables, and made me feel more in touch with our beautiful earth (and with myself too). If you have a 20 minute window of time (plus about 25 minutes for while the vegetables roast), I highly recommend it. I hope you all have a great weekend! This week, Fiesta Friday is co-hosted by Mollie @ The Frugal Hausfrau and Scarlett @ Unwed Housewife, and I look forward to checking out some inspiring posts over there!

Roasted Radish Medley

Servings: 6
Time: about 20 minutes of prep time, about 25 minutes for roasting
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Ingredients:

approximately 1 pound of radishes, washed and trimmed, with about 1/2 inch of the green tops still on, cut in half length-wise
3-4 medium-sized carrots, washed and peeled, cut in half length-wise and then cut in half width-wise
8 ounces of Cipollini onions (you can also use pearl onions), peeled and blanched
4 baby beets (or 2 small Chioggia beets, if you can find them), trimmed, washed, and halved length-wise (it helps if the beet pieces are about the same size as the radishes, so the roasting time works for all the vegetables)
2 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons of butter, melted
1 and 1/2 teaspoons of salt
black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.

In a small bowl, place the honey, olive oil, minced garlic, white wine vinegar, and melted butter. Whisk to combine.

In a large bowl, combine the radishes, carrots, blanched onions, and beets. Pour in the honey mixture and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Spread the vegetables on the baking sheet in a single layer, cut side down. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper.

Roast in your 425-degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve warm. Enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from one in the May/June 2016 issue of Victoria magazine

Radish-Herb Spread

April 14, 2016 / Jenny / 18 Comments

The fresh and bright flavors in this radish-herb spread will liven up any cracker or piece of bread. Crunchy radishes, savory chives and dill, and creamy Greek yogurt combined with Feta cheese make up this delicious spread. Add excitement to a lunch or take it to a party, and indulge in some garden freshness and protein-rich goodness!

I am so enjoying radishes this spring. They are like a breath of fresh air, and they add life to everything they touch. This radish-herb spread is no exception. The fresh radishes and herbs, combined with the tangy creaminess of the yogurt and cheese, make it full of flavor, yet not too heavy. Spread it on crackers or bread, or use it as a dip with tortilla chips and vegetables.

There has been a lot going on since I last posted, including two spring snowstorms, two weekend getaways for spring break, and a birthday for my son, among many other things. While most people around here prefer to go south for spring break, we went on two mini vacations, first a couple hours west, and then a few hours northwest. And while it would have been nice to lie on a beach in a bikini in the sun, sitting in an outdoor hot tub while the snow swirled around us and landed in our hair was truly exciting and refreshing.

Walking through the snow along Lake Michigan on a cold sunny day, while the waves crashed majestically beside us, was beautiful and invigorating. Sometimes the most memorable times occur during the most challenging weather, and sometimes you don’t need to get very far away to feel like you are in another world.

And now the weather is turning warm, finally. Warm enough that we can start thinking about our gardens again, which brings me back to radishes. They are just so refreshing and invigorating, much like a cold walk on the beach. And they look like jewels. I have been adding them to salads a lot lately, and now this delicious spread. And the chives are from our very own garden–one of the few plants that thrives in the early spring–snow, frost, or shine.

The natural beauty of fruits and vegetables continues to amaze me, and maybe that’s partly because the seasons are always changing, and the plant life reflects the seasons. I always feel so contemplative, so wistful, when my kids have birthdays. Growing children are such poignant representations of the passage of time, the cycle of life, always changing. I hope you all have a great weekend! Savor the spring! There is a Fiesta Friday going on at Angie’s, co-hosted this week by Julie @ Hostess At Heart and Ashley @ Too Zesty, and I am sharing this spread with the talented bloggers there!

Radish-Herb Spread

Servings: about 2 cups of spread
Time: about 15 minutes
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Ingredients:

1 cup of Feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup of traditional, unsweetened Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of fresh chives, finely chopped
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of fresh dill, finely chopped
1 teaspoon of sea salt
4 radishes, finely chopped

Directions:

Wash and finely chop the chives, dill, and radishes. In a bowl, stir together the Feta cheese and the Greek yogurt. Add the herbs, radishes, and salt. Stir again to completely combine. Adjust the seasonings if desired. Use the spread on crackers, bread, or as a dip for tortilla chips and vegetables. Enjoy!

Vibrant Vegetables and Garden Candy

July 7, 2014 / Dragonfly Home Recipes / 2 Comments

One of the many things I like about summer is the availability and abundance of raw, fresh food. Although I truly enjoy recipes and baking and cooking, sometimes all you need is a few fresh ingredients and you’ve got a beautiful salad, and munching on fresh vegetables is the best kind of snack. When food is just-picked or recently harvested, the flavor really pops.

On a recent trip to a farmers market in northern Michigan, my sister-in-law and I found all kinds of yummy produce. She bought a variety of greens and lettuces, green onions, and radishes, and made a vibrant, crunchy salad. One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to make a salad out of whatever is in season. You can just taste the brightness, and the level of nutrients is at its highest when foods are recently harvested. As my husband would say, when we eat in-season vegetables, we can feel the nutrients flowing into our bodies and giving us energy. I have already written about the many nutritional benefits of leafy greens in a previous post, but as for radishes, they are full of vitamins and minerals as well. According to www.med-health.net/Health-Benefits-Of-Radishes.html, radishes also have anti-fungal and antibacterial properties and a high water content.

Another food that is in season right now, at least in our garden here at home, is green peas. They are just becoming ripe enough to harvest. At our house, peas rarely even make it to the kitchen, they are eaten so quickly. Maybe we just don’t grow enough of them. My kids love to pick them and eat them right out of the pod (the pod keeps the peas nice and clean too). My daughter calls them “garden candy” because they are so sweet. I don’t mind the fact that the peas are eaten before they even reach the kitchen–I know my kids are eating a really healthy snack. Some nutritional information about peas can be found at www.care2.com/greenliving/10-health-benefits-of-peas.html. This website states that peas have not only micronutrients and fiber, but also protein. That is a big bonus for our family, since we do not eat a lot of meat. Peas are also very portable and easy to pack as a snack–you just have to open the pod and pop them into your mouth.