I can remember the first time I ever had a radish. I was living and studying in Airdrie, Scotland for the semester and it was rainy and cold. Every day. All the time. But despite the dreary weather, the country was and is beautiful and I was always warm when sharing a meal with the people of Airdrie RPC on Sunday afternoons. I distinctly recall being confused by these delectable root vegetables that my host served up on my plate, caramelized in butter and seasoned with sea salt. I had never seen radishes outside of a bucket of water on a salad bar at Old Country Buffet so my opinion of radishes was quite biased, I must admit. On the same plate were parsnips, another virtually unknown vegetable. This was uncharted foodie territory for me and I was convinced that I would be disappointed by these THINGS that had the apparent texture of styrofoam. Not wanting to be rude, I politely took a bite- the radishes first. And my preconceived notions about root vegetables were dramatically shattered. These little red globes were delicious! Throughout my time in Scotland, I grew to love a variety of other root vegetables (I am particularly fond of parsnip soup and turnip mash) and lament the fact that I live in an apartment and cannot grow my own. FFM CSA to the rescue! In our first week we were given a gloriously scarlet bunch of plump radishes- with greens attached. But these are unlike any other radish I have ever had. So tender; so delicate and fresh tasting. And the texture was so soft! I was almost convinced these weren't really radishes because I actually liked them even more than those I've already grown to love.


So, here is the first recipe of 3 using up our radishes. This is a much more "typical" preparation, but it's a good one to expose yourself to these cheery vegetables. 

Paprika Chicken with Buttered (Or Olive Oiled) Warm Radishes
adapted from Rachel Ray 


(*** Disclaimer: I am not a huge fan of Rachel Ray because its seems like everything she makes is the same and I am so tired of her tired little "yummo" phrases. However, this recipe is great! Trust me, and I hope you enjoy my take on it)


8 oz egg noodles or spaghetti, fresh or dried
2 lbs chicken, choose your favorite- white or dark meat, cut into bite size pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced (I usually use either yellow or vidalia onions)
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tsp sweet paprika, smoked if you have it
1/2 C water or chicken stock (please dont use canned or boxed stock or boullion cubes, if you dont have homemade stock, just use water. I promise it will come out fine!)
2-3 TBL butter
1 lb radishes, trimmed and halved
1/2 C sour cream, or plain non fat yogurt, or heavy cream (Ive used all three and they all work, though the sour cream/yogurt result in the creamiest dishes)
Chives
Parsley
S&P
Olive oil


Cook up your pasta to al dente in salted water. Drain and return to the pan with a little butter.


Brown your chicken in a skillet in olive oil for about 3-4 min. Add the sliced onions and garlic, paprika, and S&P. Cook for a few minutes and then add your stock or water to deglaze the pan and let simmer for about 2 min.


While this is working, heat up a little butter in a skillet and toss your radishes in cut side down for 2-3 min. Flip/stir and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes, until tender and remove from heat. Toss with chives and S&P.


When the chicken pan is deglazed, remove from heat and stir in the sour cream. 


Serve the chicken on top of the pasta and sprinkle fresh parsley on top. Serve radishes on the side.
**Makes great leftovers (this recipe serves about 4 people)




Stay tuned for radish iteration Nos. 2 and 3!