FreshPoint

Description:

Black Radishes can be almost as pungent as horseradish, and are firm and rather dry in short, nothing like the little red radishes that have graced salads and crudite platters for time immemorial. These sturdy, somewhat daunting, characters are roughly the shape and size of a Turnip, sooty black or matte black-brown on the outside and white-fleshed. Their dense flesh has proved great for extended storage in root cellars through the years. People of Russian, Polish, German, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Lithuanian and/or Jewish heritage will recognize a Black Radish on sight, but the uninitiated may need a little coaxing to try them. Use Black Radishes to make amazing garnishes. Scrub the radish and carve away, leaving designs of black and white. In most countries that serve them, black radishes are enjoyed as an appetizer, but not eaten straight. They are either coarsely shredded or sliced thin, salted to mellow the bite, then rinsed, drained, and bound with sour cream or chicken fat or radish slices are dipped in the latter. This unlikely and delicious duo is usually offered with pumpernickel or shewy sour rye bread. But don’ t be bound by tradition. When black radishes are cut in fine julienne or coarsely shredded, their peppery bite works well in mixed slaws or as cooked vegetable strips in a remoulade dressing. Or chop the radish and combine with soft cheeses, sour cream, or chopped chicken liver. Black Radishes taste like firm, rather strong turnips when cooked, but their cooking time is less predictable, ranging from 10-25 minutes, depending on how long the Radish has been stored or how dense its flesh. Sliced, diced, or shredded, they add a piquancy to soups, stews, braises, or stir-fries. Or chop fine to add to meatball or meatloaf mixtures.