In season: radish pods

10 a.m. Saturday, May 30. Chef Terry Koval of The Wrecking Bar. Peachtree Road Farmers Market, Atlanta. www.peachtreeroadfarmersmarket.com

4:30 – 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 3. Mixologist Tim Frost of Illegal Foods will demonstrate a mocktail using Golda Kombucha's peach-ginger kombucha and peaches from Pearson Farm. Decatur Farmers Market, Decatur. http://decaturfarmersmarket.com/wordpress/

Many markets offer chef demos on an occasional or regular basis. Check your market’s website or Facebook page for more information.

FOR SALE

Just coming into season: cucumbers, English peas, peaches, Tokyo bekana

Vegetables: arugula, Asian greens, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, chard, endive, escarole, fennel, frisee, garlic, herbs, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, lettuce, mushrooms, mustard greens, Napa cabbage, onions, pecans, potatoes, radicchio, radishes, ramps, rutabaga, sorrel, spinach, spring onions, sugar snap peas, summer squash, strawberries, sweet potatoes, tomatoes. turnips

From local reports

Radish pods may not be the most familiar vegetable at your local farmers market, but each year brings a few more local farmers offering them for sale. And for good reason. They’re delicious. When you eat them, you definitely know you’re eating a radish, but the flavor is more delicate. Some even call it “refined.”

Radish pods give farmers a crop to offer when root radishes have gone to seed and are really not edible.

There are radishes grown specifically for their edible seed pods. The rat-tailed radish, for example, can grow to seed pods that are eight to twelve inches long. But any radish, left to flower and go to seed, will produce a tapered bean-like pod that can be eaten.

Nicolas Donck of Crystal Organic Farm in Newborn recalls trying a diakon radish pod.. “The first time I tried them, we’d had really cold weather and our daikons didn’t die, but got so woody we just couldn’t sell them. I left them in the ground and they flowered. Then they made pods that looked like sugar snap peas, so I tried one. It was spicy and quite flavorful.”

A little research convinced him to try bringing some to his booth at the Saturday morning Morningside Farmers Market and share them with his customers. “Some liked them. Some didn’t. But I find our customers are always willing to try new things.”

Radish pods need to be harvested while young. They form on long, slender stems. Left on the plants, the pods will dry and drop their seed. Or the farmer will harvest the seeds for planting next season.

Eaten before they dry, the pods are crisp and succulent. They can be enjoyed both raw and cooked, and can be used in the same ways you’d use the lookalike vegetable, the sugar snap pea.

Donck notes that the lavender radish blooms are also beautiful and edible. Who knows? Perhaps this year he’ll have both blooms and pods available to tempt his customers.

Herb Dip with Radish Pods and Crudite

Use whatever herbs you have on hand, or a combination of herbs and arugula. We tested this recipe with chives, parsley, basil and arugula.

1/2 cup low-fat yogurt

1 (3-ounce) package Neufchatel or low-fat cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup finely chopped fresh herbs

Juice of 1 lemon

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Salt

Pinch of chopped herbs for garnish

Radish pods, carrots, radishes for dipping

In a medium bowl, whisk together yogurt and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in chopped herbs, lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Taste for seasoning. Serve immediately, garnished with a pinch of chopped herbs or refrigerate until ready to use. Will keep for 1 day. Makes: 1 cup

Per 1-tablespoon serving: 17 calories (percent of calories from fat, 61), 1 gram protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, trace fiber, 1 gram fat (1 gram saturated fat), 5 milligrams cholesterol, 36 milligrams sodium.