Tonight we dined on our very first produce from our kitchen garden!
On the Menu:
Radish Top Soup
&
Young Lettuce and Radish Salad
Dinner was divine.
Wyatt had been snacking daily on a radish or two from the garden, so I figured it was time to pull them before they got too big and tough. Most of them were ready, but I left a few in the ground that need another week or so. My lettuce also needed to be thinned so that the heads have more room to grow, so Daddy and Wyatt did that while I got started on the soup.
I got the idea to use the tops from our friend Harley. He came over for dinner on Thursday when we were having a farmer's market dinner with sauteed dandelion greens. He got radish greens confused with beet greens (another favorite), and then we wondered if they were in fact edible. So I looked them up, and discovered that although they are not widely eaten, they do have a small fan base. The greens from store bought radishes are always slimy and wilted - not appetizing at all. However, when they are garden fresh radish greens have a slightly peppery, slightly green flavor (like arugula and spinach combined). The fresh leaves are a little prickly, so although one person online suggested adding them to salad, I decided they were better suited to a soup.
For the soup you will need:
6 c vegetable stock (we're out of homemade, so we used Better Than Boullion No Chicken)
6 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large walla walla sweet onion, chopped finely
5 cloves garlic, mashed and minced
2 stalks celery, sliced lengthwise and diced
4 cups radish green leaves (no stems), chopped
4 T butter
4 T olive oil
1 T Herbs De Provence
1 T celery salt
1/3 c cream *optional
salt and pepper to taste
4 radishes sliced for garnish
Crusty bread for serving
(White Truffle oil for drizzling if you have it)
Boil the potatoes in the stock in a large soup pot. While that is boiling, melt butter and olive oil in a pan. Add the onion and celery. When they are soft, add the garlic. Saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add radish greens. Add spices to taste. Saute until greens are wilted. Add to potatoes and use an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in cream. Garnish with radishes. Serve with bread and truffle oil. Prepare to be amazed!
The salad was likewise delicious with the tender lettuce leaves and peppery radishes. I added some fresh dill, a melange of veggies, and a drizzle of balsamic olive oil dressing to round it out.
Here are some nutritional tidbits:
Radishes are from the Brassicaceae (or cruciferous vegetable) family
Their tangy flavor comes from mustard oil
They are high in Vitamin C (the greens have 6 times the amount of the root) - which is a cancer-preventing antioxidant
They are also good sources of folic acid, potassium, iron, calcium, thiamin, and the trace mineral molybdenum
Radishes have been used for indigestion and constipation, kidney stones, facial blemishes, and weight loss
Red and green leaf lettuce are from the Asteraceae (or daisy!) family
They are high in Vitamin K and A
They are also good sources of potassium, iron, calcium, thiamin, magnesium, manganese, beta carotene, and lutein
Regular consumption of fresh lettuce can prevent osteoporosis, cancer, Alzheimers, cardiovascular disease, and iron deficiency and promote eye and skin health
I must say I feel pretty darn healthy right now... There are few things as satisfying as enjoying the fruits of your labor, fresh from the earth. I can't wait to see what we can eat next!
On the Menu:
Radish Top Soup
&
Young Lettuce and Radish Salad
Dinner was divine.
Wyatt had been snacking daily on a radish or two from the garden, so I figured it was time to pull them before they got too big and tough. Most of them were ready, but I left a few in the ground that need another week or so. My lettuce also needed to be thinned so that the heads have more room to grow, so Daddy and Wyatt did that while I got started on the soup.
I got the idea to use the tops from our friend Harley. He came over for dinner on Thursday when we were having a farmer's market dinner with sauteed dandelion greens. He got radish greens confused with beet greens (another favorite), and then we wondered if they were in fact edible. So I looked them up, and discovered that although they are not widely eaten, they do have a small fan base. The greens from store bought radishes are always slimy and wilted - not appetizing at all. However, when they are garden fresh radish greens have a slightly peppery, slightly green flavor (like arugula and spinach combined). The fresh leaves are a little prickly, so although one person online suggested adding them to salad, I decided they were better suited to a soup.
For the soup you will need:
6 c vegetable stock (we're out of homemade, so we used Better Than Boullion No Chicken)
6 medium yukon gold potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 large walla walla sweet onion, chopped finely
5 cloves garlic, mashed and minced
2 stalks celery, sliced lengthwise and diced
4 cups radish green leaves (no stems), chopped
4 T butter
4 T olive oil
1 T Herbs De Provence
1 T celery salt
1/3 c cream *optional
salt and pepper to taste
4 radishes sliced for garnish
Crusty bread for serving
(White Truffle oil for drizzling if you have it)
Boil the potatoes in the stock in a large soup pot. While that is boiling, melt butter and olive oil in a pan. Add the onion and celery. When they are soft, add the garlic. Saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add radish greens. Add spices to taste. Saute until greens are wilted. Add to potatoes and use an immersion blender until smooth. Stir in cream. Garnish with radishes. Serve with bread and truffle oil. Prepare to be amazed!
The salad was likewise delicious with the tender lettuce leaves and peppery radishes. I added some fresh dill, a melange of veggies, and a drizzle of balsamic olive oil dressing to round it out.
Here are some nutritional tidbits:
Radishes are from the Brassicaceae (or cruciferous vegetable) family
Their tangy flavor comes from mustard oil
They are high in Vitamin C (the greens have 6 times the amount of the root) - which is a cancer-preventing antioxidant
They are also good sources of folic acid, potassium, iron, calcium, thiamin, and the trace mineral molybdenum
Radishes have been used for indigestion and constipation, kidney stones, facial blemishes, and weight loss
Red and green leaf lettuce are from the Asteraceae (or daisy!) family
They are high in Vitamin K and A
They are also good sources of potassium, iron, calcium, thiamin, magnesium, manganese, beta carotene, and lutein
Regular consumption of fresh lettuce can prevent osteoporosis, cancer, Alzheimers, cardiovascular disease, and iron deficiency and promote eye and skin health
I must say I feel pretty darn healthy right now... There are few things as satisfying as enjoying the fruits of your labor, fresh from the earth. I can't wait to see what we can eat next!
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