Spotlight on Radishes

Watch this video on how to buy, store and prepare radishes

Recipes for Radishes:

Broccoli Salad (with radishes)
Roasted Radishes
Spring Vegetable Sauté
Up, Down, and Around Salad 

Radishes are brightly-colored root vegetables with many health benefits. Naturally low in calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol, radishes are high in Vitamin C and contain many health-promoting vitamins and minerals. There are many varieties, and the most commonly-found variety in the United States are red and similar in size and shape to a ping pong ball. You may even find them with green, leafy tops. Separate radishes from tops and store separately in the refrigerator.  The greens are also edible (see tips below).

Try some of these fun radish ideas:

• Use as a colorful topping – Slice, grate, or finely chop and use to add a dash of color       and crunch to salads, soups, tacos, and sandwiches.
• Roast – Let kids help spread radishes on a baking sheet. Then add oil and seasonings to roast in the oven.
• Toss into stir fries or with other sautéed vegetables. Cooked radishes become milder in flavor for youngsters who might find them to be a little on the spicy side when served raw.
• Wash bright green, leafy tops and add to a salad or chop and sauté in a pan with nonstick spray and a favorite seasoning such as garlic or onion powder. You can also use chopped greens in soups for a little burst of color that packs in vitamins and minerals. 
• Try a different variety, such as daikon radishes, and then check out these 10 easy ways to use them

Because they grow quickly, radishes are also great for teaching children about growing your own food. Plant seeds in clear, plastic recycled containers and watch the entire plant grow, roots and all.  Then you can make this Up, Down, and Around salad to sample your harvest and discuss how plants grow!