Cultivation: Raphanus sativus – the radish – is very easy to grow and is a staple constituent of early summer salads.
They grow quickly, can be ready four weeks after sowing, and therefore are useful as a “catch crop” or as row markers for slow-to-germinate crops such as parsnips.
They like being planted in the sun but should be kept well watered in dry periods which can prevent splitting.
‘Red Globe’ is the most common, but they can be pink, white, purple or yellow.
Nutrition : Radishes are a good source of Vitamin C and Vitamin K, calcium, manganese and potassium. They are a good source of dietary fibre and have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. They are very low in calories.
Eating : Some years ago in Paris, our French friends served up radishes, simply served with salt to dip them in, with an aperitif.
I still think this is the best way to eat them – crunchy, crisp, peppery and fresh.
They are usually added, thinly sliced, to salads, but also delicious sliced on brown bread and butter.
For those who find the taste of raw radishes too strong but have a glut of radishes to eat, they lose their intensity of flavour when cooked – roasted in the oven or simply sautéed, a low calorie alternative to potatoes.
Sautéed radishes.
Radishes, topped, tailed and halved
A little oil and butter for frying
Sprigs of thyme
S & lots of Pepper
Method : Heat butter and oil in a sauté pan on a low heat. Then place the radishes, cut side down, in the oil along with the thyme or herb of your choice and S & P to taste. Sauté for 7 or 8 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally.
Bon appétit!
Jardin 
I have grown radishes in the past! They’re easy to grow and fun to eat. You can use the leaves in stir fry dishes too :). Beautiful pictures these!!
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Many thanks – glad you liked the photos.I haven’t tried the leaves yet myself!
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Very interesting – reading your post made me think are they a brassica? According to Wiki they are in the Brassicaceae family, so I was wondering do you treat them like other brassicas in your crop rotation? Thanks, Agnes.
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Agnes, they are indeed brassicas but I have seen them grown successfully as a root or even salad crop with legumes. Last year, I planted them in some empty pots I had. The main thing is that they have the right nutrients and are rotated.
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Thanks for that and the handy tips.
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I love radishes, but have never tried them sautéed — they look delicious; can’t wait to try them that way!
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Thanks Cindi – you can bake them too in the oven with other baby veg. They end up quite bland- hence the herbs and pepper!
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Ah, thank you for this. I love radishes, but my husband won’t eat them in salads. Maybe if I cook them like this, we can both enjoy. 🙂
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I love fresh radishes too. But for those who don’t, sauteeing them or baking them with baby veg, gives them quite a different, much blander taste.
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They must be the best Radish I have ever seen! And sauteed Radish, well I never heard of that and can’t wait to try it. I am off to sow some seeds now!
Please tell me about the first photo and who is in the flowery dress…
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Thanks Karen – there was a fair amount of selection and titivating for the photos!
The sauteed radishes end up not tasting like radishes at all, but quite good nonetheless, and perfect for those who baulk at the strong taste of fresh ones.
Not me in the pink flowery dress .. a fellow Community gardener!
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It is funny how that dress has set me off on a little journey of imaginings. I have a passion for the kind of cotton dresses which were made in the 60’s; the ones which belong to a time when you could visit your local fabric shop and choose the material, the pattern and a zip in a colour to match! The dress in the photo had a zip…at the front! It made me want to know if there was a story to the dress and the person who wore it. Fabrics and haberdashery are a little piece of social history- lovely!
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I agree. There are still some old-fashioned haberdashery shops in the city centre which I love to frequent.
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