"radishes" news and stories

Hello, St. Louis! After reading about this creamy, crunchy, multitextured sandwich via St. Louis blogger Chris Freeland at countrypolitancooking.com, I wanted to book a flight to get there for the next day's opening of the local Soulard farmers market. Chris mined local producers for both red and white radishes, Claverach farms sunflower sprouts (which some say are tastier than mung, red clover and other sprout varieties and are packed with vitamins and protein), the award-winning Baetje Farms Saint-Genevieve goat's-milk cheese ("like butter but tangy," he says), and Black Bear Bakery's pumpernickel bread. Combining them, in a nod to his radish-sandwich-loving grandfather, Chris creates something completely of its place, something of memory, and something that tastes deliciously of spring.

For more on radish varieties you might want to try at the market, or plant yourself, see this story.

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You bought a bunch of radishes. You made a salad. What next?

Can you identify spring vegetables? Take this spring vegetable identification quiz on Slashfood to find out.

Wondering how to keep your radishes fresh and crisp? This reader-submitted tip will save the day.

Radishes are a nice, crunchy addition to salads, lending a peppery flavor and some color to whatever they're combined with. In Oaxaca, they take full advantage of the versatility of the vegetable by celebrating la Noche de Rabanos, or "the night of radishes," on December 23rd. The annual festival showcases the radish carvings, made from extremely large radishes (up to 10lbs). The carvings are often extremely elaborate, shaped as dancers, animals, village scenes and parts of folk stories, as well as religious images (like Nacimiento, the nativity scene).

The Radish festival began in the late 19th century when the mayor of Oaxaca "inaugurated the first exhibition of radish art." Now, tourists come in, "snapping pictures like radish paparazzi" and enjoying the carnival-like atmosphere. Cash and other prizes are given to the best pieces and lots of food and drinks (only some of which involve more radishes) are enjoyed.

Click here to see a flickr photo gallery of some of the really intricate radish entries from this year's festival.

[via neatorama]

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