Yesterday i harvested the first of my fully grown French Breakfast Radishes - 3 of them!
I've scanned the web for some history, and it sees there is no record of the French actually eating these for breakfast.
Unlike the traditional radish you see in grocery stores, these are narrower and more elongate than a standard radish - they range in size from that of a man's stocky, muscular thumb to a petite index finger. The greens are said to be edible, but with the slugs i have seen ravaging my garden after the rains earlier this year, i think i'll pass!
Radishes are a very rewarding crop to grow - they mature in about a month, and can be started directly in the soil you plan to grow them in - no need to start seedlings indoors early. The rapid growth cycle probably means these would grow nicely indoors, if you had a lot of light, and kept them moist (rain and fog supposedly keep them tasting tender and mild... just like jesus in that song...oh... that was bad.) Though the entire crop isn't mature yet, i suspect these will all be harvested by the middle of august.
Radishes--This is one vegetable that has a lot of friends, they are excellent companion plants with beets, carrots, spinach and parsnips. Radishes grow well with cucumbers and beans. It's said that summer planting near leaf lettuce makes the radishes more tender. Avoid planting radishes near cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, broccoli, kohlrabi or turnips.
As a bit of history, I haven't done any gardening since i was about 12. Since then, i have killed a LOT of houseplants, including an aloe plant. I spent 8 years in college learning biology, but never took a botany course. so, if i can grow delicious radishes in my front yard, anyone can! :)
Recipe searches for this variety of radish hasn't turned up much - most say to dip them in butter and salt and just eat them, or to slice them and eat them on buttered bread. I'm looking for something a little more involved. here are a few recipes i've found:
Radish Salad
Poached Radish Vinaigrette
I only have 2 left to eat right now, and i think they may go into a green salad. i should wait another few days before i pick any more. any suggestions on what i should do with them when they're ready?

i dipped them in I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, and they were delicious.
ReplyDeletei might make some bread this week and use them in sandwiches...