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Here at the Coquitlam Farmers Market we are all about local, seasonal and sustainably grown produce. What better way to celebrate the summer months than a fresh take on some familiar foods! This week’s topic: radishes.

Did you know every part of the radish is edible, including the leaves and developing seedpods?

 Did You Know?

Did you know radish plants are ideal for children’s gardens because they grow quickly? The scientific name for the genus that includes radishes is Greek for “quickly appearing.”

This low calorie food is in season in South West British Columbia for the months of June through to October. One cup of radishes is a mere 19 calories!

Recipe of the Week

Brown Butter Pan- Roasted Radishes

Ingredients:

2 bunch radishes, assorted colours and types

2 Tbsp (30 mL) oil

½ tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper

2 Tbsp (30 mL) butter, melted

1 tsp (5 mL) lemon juice

lemon wedges

Radishes are trap crops against pests, protecting the surrounding crops from pests.

Directions: 

Step 1- Trim the radishes so half an inch (1 cm) of the stem is intact; trim and discard roots. Scrub well and dry well. Wash the leafy green tops, dry well and coarsely chop; set aside.

Step 2- Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the radishes, cut side down. Sprinkle with salt. While cooking, shake the skillet occasionally for about five to seven minutes until golden. As an option, stir for an additional three minutes or until lightly coloured all over.

Step 3- Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook for three minutes or until butter is starting to brown and smell nutty; remove from heat.

Step 4- Stir the brown butter and lemon juice into the radishes. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped greens. Serve with lemon wedges.

Ingredients at the Market

Radishes: Floralia Growers, Forstbauer Farm, Langley Organic Growers and Ripple Creek Organic Farm

Butter: Golden Ears Cheesecrafters

Steps on How To

Radish Planting 101:

Step 1- Place seeds one half to an inch deep and one inch apart into nutrient rich soil. You may choose to add manure or organic fertilizer to help with growth.

Step 2- After they have sprouted space the radishes to about two inches apart. Like most plants, radishes don’t like being over crowded.

Step 3- Radishes need sun. If they are planted in too much shade they will put all their energy into producing larger leaves.

Step 4- Harvest the plants promptly when the radishes are roughly the size of large marbles. This is before the roots get too woody and bitter.

Step 5- As an option, plant consecutively every two weeks or so if the weather is still cool for a continuous harvest of radishes.

Note: You can plant radishes in the fall, later than any other root crop in late summer or early fall and still get a harvest. Sowing radishes in the cooler times (March/April and again August through to October) is recommended. BUT for example, European radishes are planted in spring or summer and have a short cultivation time of three to four weeks.

Radishes in B.C.

The simplicity of growing radishes transitions right over into creating some delicious meals. All you need is a selection of radishes thinly sliced with some olive oil and herbs, and you’ve got yourself a perfect summer salad!

B.C. is one of the largest producers of radishes in Canada. As a country, radishes are a crop valued at more than $10 million.

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