Radishes and I have always had a strange relationship. For years I avoided them completely, only stopping in front of the display case occasionally in the spring to puzzle while my fellow shoppers fought each other for the best bunch. Since radishes were always one of the first local vegetables to show up in New England in the spring, I always thought that this was some sort of strange ritual inspired by the desperation for a vegetable any kind that didn't come frozen, canned, or from California or Florida with the subtle aroma of shipping crates and diesel fuel.
It wasn't until I signed up for a CSA my last year in Boston that I was forced to face my troubled relationship with radishes. For most of the season, I glommed onto recipes like gratins that deadened the sharpness and were able to convince me as much as possible that I was actually eating potatoes, even if they were a disturbing shade of pink.
I only recently figured out how much of a waste this was, convinced by glowing descriptions of buttered radishes to timidly try one of the milder varieties, at first with more butter than radish, shocked to find the perfect balance of crisp peppery radish and smooth cream.
A few weeks ago, I stumbled on a recipe for Sauteed Radishes with Mint on Food52 while looking for something to do with the radishes that had come in my CSA box. I'm still unconvinced by the idea of cooking radishes--something I'll no doubt get over when the memories of hot pink casseroles fade--but I was intrigued by the combination of radish and mint.
It is essential that this salad be prepared at the absolute last minute. Left too long, the vinegar turns everything into a pink mess.
Simple Radish and Mint Salad
1 bunch of radishes, quartered
1 tsp. fresh mint, sliced thin
1 T. champaign vinegar
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil (optional)
salt and fresh ground pepper
1. Lightly salt the radishes in a medium size bowl.
2. Toss with vinegar and then oil.
3. Top with mint and pepper.
4. Serve immediately.
Serves 2-3.
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