Friday Food Files With Molly Watson: Radishes.

I've been traveling. And that means not cooking. So I'm getting my groove back this week and experimenting a bit and... nothing is ready to share. Sorry! Everything sort of half turned out, you know? Close-but-no-cigar results. So in the meantime I snack on radishes. Bright, spicy, sparkly radishes. So fresh, so extra good in the spring before hot weather turns them too spicy and almost a bit, I hate to say it, but pungent. They are, after all, in the mustard family, like horseradish, so they come by their pungency naturally, but I prefer my radishes with a light bit of a kick and plenty of watery crunch.

When you tire of eating them by the bunch, I have what may sound like a radical suggestion: Try cooking them. Yes, you can (and should!) cook radishes. The easiest way to start is with a quick little braise with a bit of sugar to create a pretty shiny glaze all over them. I think you'll be delighted with the results. They lose their crunch but gain a soft, melting texture that goes particularly well with broiled, grilled, or steamed fish.

Too crazy for you? Try a thinly sliced gingery radish salad. Still delicious, still more interesting than plain radishes, but no where near as wacky as cooking them. (But seriously, try cooking them!)

***

Each week, the Friday Food Files are deliciously brought to you by Molly Watson. For more on Molly and her delicious recipes, you can visit her in one of many wonderful places:
Writer: mollywatsonwrites.com
Blogger: thedinnerfiles.com
Recipe Wizard: localfoods.about.com
Radio Girl: eatthatradio.wordpress.com

*Photos courtesy of Molly Watson.