Winter is a season of greens and roots. Collards and turnips, kale and carrots. For some growers, depending on their farming practices, radishes may be part of that mix.
Mark Capps and Lynn Teddlie of Straight from the Backyard Farm in Loganville are growing a variety of radish types. Until spring, Straight from the Backyard Farm can be found at the Saturday morning Marietta Square Farmers Market and the Emory Farmers Market on Tuesdays.
“We grow several different radishes at the farm, but I would not really consider them a true winter crop. Some will hold up in the cold weather if they have grown to a nice size before the cold hits. They all can be grown in the winter under small hoops with row covers if it does not get below, let’s say 24 degrees and some can hold down to about 20 in the open field,” said Capps.
Radishes come in every hue from white to lime green to pink, red and black. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the radishes Capps grows.
“Regular” varieties like the familiar red globe radishes are an early spring and late fall crop. They like cool weather, but can only take a light freeze.
Similarly, the beautiful red meat or watermelon radish is only somewhat hardy and grows best in this area, unless in a hoop house, in early spring and late fall.
Daikons are one of the most cold hardy radishes. These long white radishes grow all year around in Georgia and will hold in the ground unless the weather turns brutally cold. A similar variety, the Korean radish with its green top and white body, is the traditional radish for kimchi. The Korean radish and the Green Meat radish, a miniature daikon radish with lime-green flesh, tolerate cold like the daikon.
The China Rose radish is another variety that can take a lot of cold. It’s an heirloom variety, with five inch long roots with a skin that fades from dark to pale pink along the root and white flesh.
Black skinned Spanish radishes are generally grown in the fall. They’re frequently considered a storage radish as they are particularly good keepers.
Of all these radishes, which is Capps’ favorite? “The radish we like most would be the daikon due to its mild flavor, excellent storage and wide range of uses,” he said.
He enjoys his radishes lightly pickled and eats them as an accompaniment to all kinds of dishes.
A bunch of radishes lightly wrapped will keep up to two weeks in your refrigerator crisper drawer. Don’t discard the leaves. Cut them from the radishes when you get them home and then add the leaves to salads or sauté them like most other greens. The leaves will start to wilt before the radishes do, so don’t wait too long to use them up.
Bagged loose radishes will keep up to three weeks, and winter radishes like daikon can keep for two to four months, loosely wrapped and refrigerated.
For sale at local farmers markets
Vegetables and fruit: apple cider, apples, arugula, beets, broccoli, broccoli leaves, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, chard, collards, dandelion, endive, escarole, fennel, frisee, herbs, kale, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, olives, radishes, spinach, spring onions, sweet potatoes, turmeric, turnips
From local reports
Eddie Hernandez’ Winter Radish Salad
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Eddie Hernandez, executive chef of Taqueria del Sol, created this winter salad recipe just for our readers. Use any radishes you like. For the photo, Hernandez used watermelon radishes and garnished the dish with candied mango and a sprig of cilantro.
2 cups unseasoned rice wine vinegar
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 1/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 cup sliced radishes
1 cup peeled and diced pears
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
In a small saucepan, combine vinegar, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Add radishes and cook 3 minutes. Remove from heat, allow to cool and set aside until ready to serve.
In a small bowl, combine pears and chiles. Stir together and set aside.
In a medium bowl, make dressing by whisking together oil, lemon juice, remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
When ready to serve, pour dressing over the pear/chile mixture. Divide radishes between serving plates and top with pear relish. Drizzle salad with remaining dressing and sprinkle with parsley. Serve immediately. Discard remaining pickling juice.
Per serving: 302 calories (percent of calories from fat, 79), trace protein, 16 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 28 grams fat (3 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 142 milligrams sodium.
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